Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when trauma or disease damages the cord of nerve tissue running through the spine, disrupting signals between the brain and body. The level and completeness of the injury determine which functions are lost or reduced, ranging from partial weakness to full paralysis below the site of damage.
Key points
- Trauma or disease damaging the spinal cord disrupts brain-body signalling, with the level and completeness of injury deciding what function is lost.
- Spasticity, involuntary stiffness, spasms and tightening, is one of the most disruptive consequences and often disrupts movement, sleep and routine care.
- Baclofen works directly on the spinal cord to calm this abnormal muscle tone, and is well established for injury-related spasticity.
Managing spasticity after spinal cord injury
One of the most common and disruptive consequences of SCI is spasticity: involuntary muscle stiffness, spasms, and tightening that can interfere with movement, sleep, and daily care. Baclofen acts on the spinal cord itself to reduce this abnormal muscle tone and is a well-established treatment for SCI-related spasticity. For broader pain management, a combination of physical approaches and medicines is typically tailored to the individual’s injury level and symptoms.
Anyone who experiences a sudden worsening of spasms, a sharp rise in blood pressure with headache and sweating (autonomic dysreflexia), or new loss of function should seek urgent medical assessment.