While summer is the time to dive into warm-weather activities like swimming, it’s also the time for a little extra precaution in order to guarantee an injury-free season.
Nearly 12,000 new spinal cord injuries occur every year in the United States, according to the American Spinal Injury Association. And about 1,000 of those injuries are caused by diving accidents. Approximately 79 percent of spinal cord injuries occur among males.
The spinal cord is made of soft tissue surrounded by bones called vertebrae that extend from the base of the brain down to the lower back region. It’s made up of nerve cells and groups of nerves that go to different parts of the body, carrying messages between the brain and rest of the body to control muscle movement. A spinal cord injury is usually caused by a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more of the vertebrae.
When this damage happens, bone fragments or ligaments can bruise or tear into the spinal cord. This can destroy the nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spine between the brain and the rest of the body, impairing part or all of the corresponding muscles and nerves below the injury site.
For example, a lower back injury to the spine could affect a person’s torso, legs, bowels and bladder control. Or a neck injury could affect movement of a person’s arms, and possibly, the ability to breathe.
Rehabilitation for a spinal injury can be a long process that includes physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy, along with other specialized care provided by a physiatrist, neuropsychologist and rehabilitation nurses.
While the patient works to become as physically independent as possible, he or she must also deal with the emotional and financial consequences of the injury as well. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that diving injuries cost nearly $1.8 billion each year in medical, loss of work, pain and suffering, and legal/liability expenses.
While this information may be sobering, the good news is that diving injuries can be prevented by following safety guideline and with a bit of precaution. Bagley offers these tips:
- Always enter water feet first.
- Never dive head first into shallow water. More than 90 percent of diving accidents occur each year in six feet of water or less, according to the American Spinal Injury Association.
- Never dive into water that doesn’t have a clear bottom such as a lake or ocean. Rocks, logs, sand bars or other objects could be hidden below the surface.
- Never dive into an above-ground pool.
- Make sure you can see the bottom of a body of water at its deepest point.
- Check the shape and length of the water to be sure the diving area is large enough and deep enough for a dive.
- Carefully inspect home pools and hotel pools. Many – even those fitted with diving boards – are unsafe for diving. The deep end may be too short, which means the diver could strike his or her head on the slope of the pool leading to the shallow end.
- Obey “No Diving” signs.
- Don’t drink alcohol before or during swimming or diving. It affects balance, coordination and judgment.
Summer is a fun time, and with a little patience and precaution, it can be kept that way. QCBN
Dr. Bagley is the owner of Prescott Valley Spine and Sports, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and assistant medical director for Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital
Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital is a 40-bed, free-standing rehabilitation hospital that provides intensive physical rehabilitation services to patients recovering from strokes, brain, spinal cord, and orthopedic injuries, and other impairments as a result of injury or illness. For more information, visit MVRRH.ernesthealth.com.
3700 N. Windsong • Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 • (P) 928-759-8800• (F) 928-775-7781 • MVRRH.ernesthealth.com