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  1. About Spinal Cord Injury
  2. Understanding Spinal Cord Injury

Understanding Spinal Cord Injury

What is the spinal cord?

The spinal cord is about as thick as a finger and some twenty inches long. It is a part of your nervous system, made up of bundles of nerve fibres carrying messages from the brain to all parts of the body. Read more

Published: 18th March, 2015

Updated: 12th April, 2019

Author: Hannah Wyatt

Related topics:
  • Understanding Spinal Cord Injury

What is the spine?

The spine consists of a chain of bony rings called vertebrae which provide support for our whole body, linking head, shoulders, chest and pelvis. There are 33 vertebrae which are divided into 5 major sections. Read more

Published: 18th March, 2015

Updated: 12th April, 2019

Author: Hannah Wyatt

Related topics:
  • Understanding Spinal Cord Injury

Post injury

Injuries to the spinal cord do not usually cut through the cord. However, they do cause damage to the thin, fibrous nerve fibres within the spinal column. The most obvious effect of spinal cord injury is the reduced ability to move and feel things below the level of injury. Read more

Published: 9th March, 2015

Updated: 12th April, 2019

Author: Hannah Wyatt

Related topics:
  • Understanding Spinal Cord Injury

What is Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injury occurs when there is any damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication between the brain and the body. Read more

Published: 9th March, 2015

Updated: 24th June, 2019

Author: Hannah Wyatt

Related topics:
  • Understanding Spinal Cord Injury
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Showing 10 of 4

Latest

  • Our partnership with Back Up

    Aspire and Back Up have been working closely since 2014 to support people with Spinal Cord Injury throughout the UK

  • Aspire pays tribute to its Vice President Margaret Tebbit

    Aspire pays tribute to its Vice President Margaret Tebbit

    Aspire pays tribute to Margaret Tebbit, who has been associated with the charity since sustaining her sustained her spinal cord injury in 1984.

  • Aspire holds its first Virtual Sports Quiz

    Aspire holds its first Virtual Sports Quiz

    Aspire's Virtual Sports Quiz was hosted by John Inverdale with guest Clare Balding

  • From injury to building a boat and fishing

    From injury to building a boat and fishing

    Phil sustained a spinal cord injury in 1978. He contacted our Welfare Benefits Advice team who helped him secure the benefits he was entitled to.

Most read

  • Our purpose

    Our purpose

    How we support the 50,000 people living with Spinal Cord Injury in the UK

  • Contact Us

    Contact details for Aspire and all of our services. We always welcome feedback, comments or drop in to us any time, day or night and we'll be happy to see you.

  • Job vacancies

    View current job vacancies at Aspire, a national charity providing practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury.

  • Swimming

    Swimming

    From the pool based Aspire Channel Swim to swimming the English Channel as part of a relay team, Aspire is known for its expertise in swimming events.

  • Aspire Grants

    The Aspire Grants Programme is currently closed to new applications, but there are other organisations that may be able to help.

  • Help with independent living

    Our Independent Living Advisors provide advice and guidance to patients in Spinal Injury Centres

  • How Assistive Technology can help you

    Aspire's Assistive Technology Programme enables everyone, regardless of the level of their spinal cord injury, to independently use a computer.

  • Accessible housing

    Our Housing Programme provides accessible properties for people with Spinal Cord Injury around the UK to be used on a short-term basis

  • Solent Swims 2021

    Solent Swims 2021

    Swim the Solent to the Isle of Wight

  • Relay Channel Swim 2021

    Relay Channel Swim 2021

    Swim 22 miles between Dover and France in a team of six. Each swimmer will take it in turn to swim for an hour until they reach France

Tag cloud

aspire hub News

Latest tweet

  • We love this #DisabledSnowman that one of our #IndependentLiving Advisors built yesterday! https://t.co/yPCshEH6j4

    25thJanuary, 2021 @AspireCharity
  • Aspire's President John Inverdale enjoyed hosting our #VirtualSportsQuiz so much that he wants to do it again! Tic… https://t.co/u5dUHfvpfS

    19thJanuary, 2021 @AspireCharity
  • @liharvester @SwimSerpentine Hi Simon, I believe Andrew has already been in touch about this? Best of luck with it all!

    19thJanuary, 2021 @AspireCharity

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Association for Spinal Injury Research, Rehabilitation and Reintegration
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