What are the phases of spinal shock
What are the phases of spinal shock
Answers
Spinal Shock
What Is Spinal Shock And How Is It Treated?
Reviewed By: Pramod Kerkar, MD, FFARCSI
What Is Spinal Shock?
Spinal shock is a rare medical condition occurring as a result of a spinal cord injury and is characterized by loss of feeling or sensation with motor paralysis. Patient suffering from spinal shock also has loss of reflexes in the beginning, but it is followed by gradual recovery of the reflexes. Spinal shock is a combination of autonomic and motor dysreflexia.1 Motor dysreflexia is presented in four phase as areflexia (loss of reflexes), hyporeflexia (slow lethargic reflexes), normal reflexes and hyper (exaggerated) reflexes.1 Spinal shock comprises of a period of absent motor reflexes, which can be temporary or permanent, followed by another period of excessive reflexes or hyperreflexia.