Spinal Cord Injury

A healthcare provider can usually diagnose a spinal cord injury using multiple methods, including:

• A physical exam. Your provider does this to look for clues or evidence of the injury’s extent.
• A neurological exam. Your provider will do this to test specific abilities of your nervous system. This involves seeing if you can move your limbs by testing your strength and checking your sensation and reflexes.
• Imaging scans. Examples include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. CT scans are faster and show your provider bone-related injuries or problems. MRI scans take longer but provide ultra-detailed images of bones, soft tissues, nerves, etc.
• Diagnostic tests. Examples of these include electromyography and nerve conduction tests. They measure electrical signals reaching your muscles, which can help locate nerve or spinal cord damage interfering with signals.