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About Spinal Cord Injury and Disease

Life with a spinal cord injury or disease is demanding enough without secondary symptoms such as spasticity, which tightens muscles and can make daily activities more challenging. That’s why Medtronic developed a treatment technology.

Definition

Spinal cord injury refers to damage of the spinal cord resulting from a blunt or penetrating trauma.

Causes

Spinal cord injury is usually the result of an accident (for example, motor vehicle accident, fall, sports injury) or acts of violence such as gunshot wounds. It can also be caused by surgical complications² or by disease (for example, polio, spina bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia).³

Risk Factors

Spinal cord injury can happen to anyone, but some people are at higher risk, including:

• Men – 80% of spinal cord injuries^{1, 2}
• Young adults 16 to 30—more than half of spinal cord injuries^{1, 2}
• People who engage in risky behavior – such as diving into shallow water or playing sports without proper safety gear or precautions^{1, 2}
• People with an underlying bone or joint disorder – for example, arthritis, osteoporosis¹

Symptoms

Even if the spinal cord has not been severed, a spinal cord injury can still result in loss of function. In fact, most people with impaired functioning due to spinal cord injury still have an intact spinal cord.³

Symptoms of possible spinal cord injury include:²

• Extreme pain or pressure in the neck, head, or back
• Tingling or loss of sensation in the hand, fingers, feet, or toes
• Partial or complete loss of control over any part of the body
• Urinary or bowel urgency, incontinence, or retention
• Difficulty with balance and walking
• Abnormal band-like sensations in the thorax (pain, pressure)
• Impaired breathing after injury
• Unusual lumps on the head or spine

In addition, studies show that most spinal cord injury survivors have at least one secondary problem resulting from their injury, including:⁴

• Spasticity
• Obesity
• Pain
• Urinary tract infection
• Pressure sores

Diagnosis

Spinal cord injury is usually first diagnosed by loss of function below the injury site, along with other symptoms of spinal cord injury.

If your clinician suspects spinal cord injury, he or she will:

• Perform a full physical evaluation
• Take a detailed medical history
• Perform specialized diagnostic tests

About Spasticity Due to Spinal Cord Injury

Spasticity is caused by damage or injury to the part of the central nervous system (the brain or spinal cord) that controls voluntary movement. This damage disrupts important signals between the nervous system and muscles, creating an imbalance that increases muscle activity or spasms.

Spasticity can make movement, posture, and balance difficult. It may affect your ability to move one or more of your limbs, or to move one side of your body. Sometimes spasticity is so severe that it gets in the way of daily activities, sleep patterns, and caregiving. In certain situations, this loss of control can be dangerous for the individual.

References

1. Spinal Cord Injury Risk Factors. Mayo Clinic. www.mayoclinic.com. Accessed October 30, 2012.  
2. Spinal Cord Injury. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. www.ans.org. Accessed October 30, 2012.
3. Spinal Cord 101. Spinal Cord Resource Center. www.spinalinjury.net. Accessed October 30, 2012.
4. Anson C, Shepherd C. Incidence of secondary complications in spinal cord injury. Int J Rehabil Research 1996;19:55-66.

 

 

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ON ITB THERAPY

Please follow your doctor's instruction closely because a sudden stop of intrathecal baclofen therapy can result in serious illness (baclofen withdrawal symptoms) such as high fever, changed mental status, muscle rigidity, and in rare cases multiple organ-system failure and death. It is very important that your doctor be called right away if you experience any of the above symptoms.

It is important for you to keep your scheduled refill visits so you don't run out of medication (baclofen) and to understand the early symptoms of baclofen withdrawal. Some patients are at more risk than others for baclofen withdrawal; consult with your doctor.

People who suffer from severe spasticity resulting from cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, brain injury, or spinal cord injury may be a candidate for ITB Therapy. If you have spasticity due to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis you must first fail oral baclofen. If you have experienced a traumatic brain injury you must first wait 1 year after the injury to be considered for ITB Therapy. A screening test will help show if you will respond to the intrathecal baclofen. You should not receive ITB Therapy if you have an infection, are allergic to baclofen, or your body size is too small to hold the implantable pump.

The implanted pump and catheter are surgically placed beneath the skin. Surgical complications that you may experience include infection, meningitis, spinal fluid leak, paralysis, headache, swelling, bleeding, and bruising.

The most common and/or serious drug-related side effects of ITB Therapy include loose muscles, sleepiness, upset stomach, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness. Pump failure may cause overdose or underdose of intrathecal baclofen. The signs and symptoms of overdose include drowsiness, lightheadedness, dizziness, respiratory depression (difficulty breathing), hypothermia, seizures, loss of consciousness, and coma. Once the infusion system is implanted, device complications include catheter or pump moving within the body or eroding through the skin. The catheter could leak, tear, kink, or become disconnected, resulting in underdose or no baclofen infusion. Symptoms of underdose include increase or return in spasticity, itching, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and tingling sensation. These symptoms are often early indications of baclofen withdrawal. The pump could stop because the battery has run out or because of component failure. The pump will sound an alarm when the pump needs to be filled with baclofen, replaced or if there is a problem with the pump. Always inform any healthcare personnel that you have an implanted infusion system before any medical or diagnostic procedure such as MRI or diathermy.

For more information, please read the Lioresal® Intrathecal (baclofen injection) Full Prescribing Information and the SynchroMed Infusion System Information.

This therapy is not for everyone. Please contact your doctor. A prescription is required.

Lioresal^® is a registered trademark of Medtronic, Inc.

USA Rx Only Rev 0911

Section Navigation

• About Severe Spasticity
• About Brain Injury
• About Cerebral Palsy
• About Multiple Sclerosis
• About Spinal Cord Injury
• About Stroke

Additional information