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The spinal cord is one of the most complex parts of the human body. When the cord is severed or injured, the body is thrown into a state of upheaval that requires long term recovery.

A spinal cord injury can be caused by trauma or a disease to the vertebral column (spine) or to the spinal cord itself. Your level of injury is classified by which vertebra is damaged.

There are numerous explanations about spinal cord injuries published on the internet or in books, so we are not going to go into detail explaining how the spinal cord works. The important thing to know is how to deal with all the crazy things your body can and cannot do at this point in your recovery.

Remember, the part of your body above your injury and the part below your injury is perfectly fine. The problem is that the two cannot communicate (send nerve signals) through the scarring around your injury or through your injury itself.

Therefore, until your body is able to send those signals again, you need to take meticulous care of yourself. Information in this section explains how to take care of your body and its unique health issues and how to develop an effective rehabilitation program.

I’ve also included what equipment I find most useful, and some stories about other inspiring people to keep you motivated.

The most important thing for you to remember is that there is always hope. Every injury is different, and therefore no doctor can tell you definitively what you will and will not be able to do. Hope is the drug that will keep you on the path to recovery.