Spinal cord injury, or SCI, is damage to the spinal cord. The spinal cord is protected by the bones of the spine, called vertebrae. Vertebrae are stacked on top of each other. A tunnel goes through the bones. The spinal cord and nerves go from the brain to the tailbone in this tunnel. Nerves branch off from the spinal cord between each of the bones of the spine. Spinal cord trauma occurs when that protection is damaged.
The spinal cord is the part of the nervous system that runs down from the brain through a canal in the spine. It sends signals between the peripheral nerves in the body and the brain. Signals from sensations such as pain are sent up the peripheral nerves from organs such as the skin. Commands to move the body are known as motor impulses. These impulses begin in the brain and travel down the spinal cord. They then travel through the peripheral nerves into tissues, such as muscle, to produce movement.
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