Hesperian Health Guides
Back and Neck Injuries
Do not give pain medicine until you are sure there is no injury to the spinal cord. Pain reminds the person to keep still.
Signs of spinal cord injury
- Pain or tenderness along the neck or back
- Weakness or loss of movement in the arms or legs
- Numbness in the arms or legs
Other signs of spinal cord injury include loss of control of urine or stool, difficulty breathing, or shock. If there is any doubt, it is safest to treat the person as if they have a spinal cord injury.
To check for spinal cord injury, ask the person to stay flat on their back and to raise their knees. Then ask them to raise their arms. Can they move without difficulty? Do they feel pain? Touch their fingers and toes. Can they feel your touch? Can they feel your pinch?
If there is a place on the body below which the person cannot move or feel, they have a spinal cord injury. With help from others, you can prevent this injury from getting worse.
 Roll on "three'. One, two...
Hold the head in line with the body, keep the neck straight. |
 three |
If the person has feeling and movement in all of their body, carefully "log roll" them to their side to check their whole back.
Keep the head, neck, and back in one straight line as you roll. Then keep the body still, and gently feel each bump along the person's back, in a line, from the back of the head to just above the buttocks. Feel for bones that are broken or out of place, and notice if the person shows signs of feeling pain (for example, crying out).
Use the same group effort to carefully roll the person back.
(If the person is vomiting, place something under their head so they can stay on their side.)
If there is pain or tenderness, the person needs x-rays to see if there are smaller breaks in the bones. They will need to rest in one position, being turned every few hours but keeping the neck and back still, until pain subsides in a week or so.
To move the person, log roll him onto his side and put a long flat board, like a wooden door, under him. Then roll him back onto the board. Use a few long strips of strong tape or cloth to secure his head, chest, and thighs to the board. If you must keep the person on this board for a long time, you should roll him to his side every couple of hours.
A person who has had an injury to the spine needs long‑term physical therapy. Seek help from those with experience, or use a book like Disabled Village Children or A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities, both available from Hesperian.