When a spinal injury occurs, it can change your life. Even a relatively incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to chronic pain, changes to motor and sensory function, and long-term lifestyle adjustments. Unfortunately, SCIs are also a significant risk in some sports, and not only contact sports like rugby, American football and wrestling. Diving accidents are also a major cause of traumatic spinal cord injury, as are horse riding and mountain biking incidents.

As such, it is important for players, coaches, team doctors and others involved to understand the symptoms so that an injured player gets the treatment they need to achieve the best possible outcome following an injury. Whether an injury is relatively minor or more serious, damage to the spinal cord or the nerves at the end of the spinal canal can develop over time and worsen, leading to paralysis, sexual dysfunction and incontinence in the most severe cases.

The expert serious injury solicitors at Switalskis have a strong track record of supporting injured sportspeople in successful claims, and securing compensation that will enable them to maximise their recovery or adjust to new circumstances. Here, we explain the early warning signs of a spinal injury that you should look out for following a sports accident, when you should seek urgent treatment, and when you may be entitled to compensation.

What are the most common signs of a spinal injury?

If an injury happens while participating in a sport, you must act fast. A complete injury means the person has no motor or sensory function below the injury site, and often leads to permanent paralysis. These injuries are usually clear right away, but other injuries are less obvious. An incomplete injury means the person retains some feeling or movement below the level of injury. In some cases, symptoms may be less obvious initially, which can delay diagnosis.

The most serious symptoms of a spinal injury include:

1. Extreme back pain or pressure: a pain in the neck, head or back is a key sign of a potential SCI.
2. Weakness or paralysis: if the injured person has lost muscle control in any part of their body, this could indicate that the spinal cord cannot send signals to the limbs as the result of an injury.
3. Numbness or tingling: this may present in the hands, fingers, feet, or toes and could be a sign that the spinal nerves are compressed.
4. Loss of bladder or bowel control: this is a major warning sign that the spinal cord has been affected by an injury.
5. Difficulty with balance: if the person cannot walk or stay steady, this is a serious sign of a spinal injury.
6. Difficulty breathing: if an injury affects the upper spine, the person may struggle to use their chest muscles to breathe. This acute spinal cord injury symptom should prompt immediate medical attention.
7. Loss of sensation to temperature or touch: other warning signs include altered sensation, such as difficulty feeling heat, cold, touch or pain in the affected parts of the body.

You should seek medical advice if you experience any of the above following an accident while playing a sport.

While these are the most common early signs of a serious injury, other symptoms of a spinal injury aren't obvious right away. SCI symptoms can develop over time, whether through overuse of the injured body part or because bleeding or swelling happen around the spinal cord after the initial impact.

You should look for any change in sensory function or motor function to determine whether a seemingly minor injury could indicate spinal damage. If the person seems confused, loses consciousness, or develops a severe headache following a sporting accident, treat the situation as a medical emergency as these may indicate a head or spinal injury.

A persistent burning sensation, electric shock-like pain, or shooting pain radiating into the arms or legs may indicate nerve root or spinal cord involvement and should be assessed urgently. These are known as red flag symptoms.

How long does it take for spinal cord injury to show signs?

It is worth keeping an eye on these symptoms not only in the immediate aftermath of a sports accident, but in the days and weeks after. While many signs appear immediately, some take time to appear. Often, it is best to speak to a doctor immediately following an accident even if you feel fine, as they may be able to detect and treat underlying injuries before they lead to more serious harm.

The earlier an SCI is diagnosed, the better the potential outcomes. In the UK, patients with a suspected spinal cord injury are treated through a network of specialist NHS spinal cord injury centres , where medical teams aim to reduce inflammation and stabilise the spine as fast as possible. Delays in diagnosis may allow ongoing swelling, compression, or secondary injury processes to cause additional neurological damage.

Spinal shock can also hide the true extent of the damage for several days, which means that even if you are aware that you have been injured, the nature of the injury can be hard to determine. When you seek compensation for your injuries, your solicitor will speak to independent medical experts and take the time to make sure the full extent of any injuries are taken into account, which can be important for your long-term recovery.

What are the longer-term symptoms of an acute spinal cord injury?

An injury to the spinal column or nervous system can sometimes be treated successfully, but there are several long-term concerns that sportspeople may face if the problem is not detected early. These include both side effects of the initial bone fracture or nerve damage, and secondary complications that can arise.

• Bladder or bowel control: these are managed by the spine, and injuries can lead to communication problems. This can lead to incontinence, and people with spinal cord injuries often need to learn new ways to control bladder or bowel movements using catheters or specific routines.
• Blood pressure and blood flow: the spinal cord regulates blood pressure. After an injury, a person can experience changes in blood pressure, such as sudden drops when they sit up, because the nerve signals are interrupted.
• Sexual function: an acute SCI can affect both a person's sexual function and fertility.
• Pressure sores: When a person cannot feel their skin due to a loss of sensation, they may stay in one position for too long. This causes pressure sores or pressure ulcers, which can become very serious if not treated. If the spinal cord no longer sends pain signals from the skin below the injury, these may be hard for the patient to detect.
• Blood clots: if the legs do not move as much after spinal injuries, blood flow slows down and this can lead to blood clots in the veins. This can travel to other internal organs and become life-threatening in the most serious cases.
• Respiratory issues: if the injury affects the chest muscles, the person may find it hard to cough or breathe deeply. This increases the risk of chest infections and other respiratory complications. Spinal cord injuries can also increase the risk of urinary tract infections due to bladder dysfunction.
• Chronic pain: along with body functions being affected, many people with SCIs suffer from nerve pain or muscle pain. Nerve cells that are damaged can send "misfired" signals to the brain, and cause persistent discomfort or severe pain. If this chronic pain is difficult to manage, it may also affect mental health.

If you were injured in an accident that wasn't your fault, compensation can account for the pain, suffering and long-lasting impact of an injury. This includes payments for many of the symptoms listed above, and any physical medicine, devices or aids that you need to accommodate a condition.

How can a serious injury solicitor help with spinal cord damage?

The spinal cord plays a vital role in everyday life, which means that spinal trauma can have a serious impact. If the spinal injury was caused by someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation, which is designed to provide the injured person the funds for:

• home adaptations to help you move around, use the toilet and sit comfortably with an SCI
• private medical treatment for the spinal cord
• ongoing occupational therapy to improve independence
• loss of earnings due to an inability to work
• specialist equipment, such as wheelchairs, that is needed for mobility or pain management

Spinal injuries are a surprisingly common result of sporting activities. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, it may be possible to establish that another person or organisation was responsible for your injuries.

At Switalskis, our serious injury solicitors work with medical experts to understand how the injury affects your life, and look at your needs for the future, including any specialised medical attention or rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries . Our goal is to ensure you have everything you need to live a full and active life following a spinal cord injury.

Contact Switalskis today

If you have been injured in a sporting accident and need compensation to maximise functional recovery or accommodate lifestyle changes, Switalskis can help. Call us on 0800 1380 458 or get in touch via the form on our site.