The search feature of this site requires that JavaScript is activated on your browser

Skip to content

 
 

About spinal cord injury and neurological conditions

Spinal cord injury is damage to neural elements in the spinal cord which results in loss of feeling and movement below the level of injury. It can result in paraplegia (partial or complete paralysis of the lower body and legs) and tetraplegia (partial or complete paralysis of the body from the neck down).

There are currently around 10,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in Australia, with a further 300 – 400 new cases reported every year. Around half of all new cases are people aged between 15 and 34 years old.

Motor vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of spinal cord injury, followed by falls, and water and sports-related causes. Spinal cord injury is usually sudden, unexpected, traumatic, and life-changing.

Related neurological conditions include Motor Neurone Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Transverse Myelitis, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, and spinal cord tumours.

For more information on spinal cord injury and conditions, please visit the Organisations & Resources section of this website.