Spinal cord injuries afflict approximately 11,000 Americans each year. Severe and traumatic, injuries to the spinal cord are most frequently caused by motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents involving machinery or work-related motor vehicles, falls from a height of 6 feet or more, assault or other acts of violence and high-risk sports.

The spinal cord is the vehicle for communication between the brain and the rest of the body and is protected by the vertebrae, or bones of the spine. Each vertebra is cushioned from the bones surrounding it by spinal discs and held in place by ligaments and finger-thin muscles.

Spinal cord injuries cause disabilities when they result in disc compression or damage to the vertebrae known as vertebral splintering, which occur when impact injuries chip off bits of the spinal bones that then cut or press into the contained spinal cord. In severe cases spinal injuries literally break the victims back and fully sever the spinal cord, causing complete paralysis to the parts of the body below the spinal injury. These different injuries to the spine can cause numbness, tingling, pain or loss of sensation as well as temporary paralysis, partial permanent paralysis known as paraplegia and full permanent paralysis known as quadriplegia.

In all cases physical therapy programs encouraging victims to pursue the optimal physical fitness within their limitations are essential to the recovery of any spinal injury and the continuing quality of life post-injury.

During their hospital stay, spinal cord injury victims begin a moderate and monitored physical therapy program of that must continue after they are discharged. Patients must work within the parameters of their injury and the inclinations of their character to develop and structure a sustainable and enjoyable fitness routine. This program is invaluable not only to physical rehabilitation but to their emotional and mental recovery as well.

Cardiovascular endurance and weight training for strength are the basics of any spinal cord injury fitness routine and improve balance, stability and resistance to illness. Many gyms are equipped with adaptive exercise machines such as hand bikes, but simple and inexpensive items like wrist and ankle weights, free weights and elastic tubing may also be appropriate.

Most spinal cord injury victims undergo a short or long term program of physical therapy after their release from the hospital, a program which may be supplemented or complemented by the services of a personal trainer who can give sessions in a gym or at home. Any personal trainer hired should be certified through the American College of Sports Medicine or the International Sports Science Association, both of which give excellent and thorough instruction.

Spinal cord injuries are life-changing and expensive, both in the short and long-term. A qualified personal injury lawyer can help victims recover their financial losses and move on with their lives.