How serious is a T12 injury?
A T12 spinal cord injury affects lower body functions such as walking and bowel and bladder functions. Fortunately, individuals with T12 spinal cord injuries generally have normal, full functioning of their upper bodies, which allows a great deal of independence.
What does T12 spine control?
The region of your spinal cord protected by this vertebra controls your abdominal muscles, lower back, stability and support. Unfortunately, pain from a T12 injury can be tricky to diagnose as it can radiate to other areas of your body and not be centered where the injury actually is.
What are the symptoms of T12 nerve damage?
T12-L1 Pinched Nerve: The T12 spinal nerves are responsible for the abdominal muscles and the skin over the buttocks. A pinched nerve at this level may cause pain into the buttocks or over the abdomen. Localized symptoms of pinched nerve in the thoracic spine may include pain or stiffness of the midback.
How long does it take to recover from a T12 fracture?
Vertebral fractures usually take about three months to fully heal.
How do you fix a broken T12?
Treatment for unstable T12 and L1 burst fractures require a surgical procedure to connect your spine to keep it together and straight. Your surgeon may also use bone grafts to help heal the T12 and L1 vertebrates that were injured.
How long does it take for a T12 fracture to heal?
A spinal fracture takes between six and 12 weeks to heal. During the healing process, spinal bones don’t return to their normal shape. They heal in their new compressed shape. This can lead to height loss and curvature of the spine.
Can a T12 fracture cause paralysis?
Thoracic spinal cord injury T1-T12 Thoracic injuries can cause paralysis or weakness of the legs (paraplegia) along with loss of physical sensation, bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. In most cases, arms and hands are not affected.
What helps T12 pain?
Because pain in the thoracic region is often caused by muscle tension and poor posture, initial treatment efforts focus on relieving the tension with stretching, massage, and over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Heat and/or ice therapy can help reduce muscle pain and stiffness as well.