The damage to any part of the spinal cord or its nerves refers to as spinal cord injury. More often, this kind of injury results in persistent decreases in strength, sensation, and other body functions within or below the injury area.

The sacral spine region is located below the lumbar spine region.

The sacrum (a five-segment triangle-shaped bone vertebrae from S1 - S5 at the end of the spine between the lumbar spine and the tailbone) affects nerve communication to the lower portion of the body.

There is no spinal cord in the sacrum region itself, however, sacral nerve damage in the sacral spine area can have symptoms like other regions of spinal cord damage.

It is important to understand that the spinal cord does not extend beyond the lumbar spine. L2 is the lowest vertebral segment that contains the spinal cord. After that point, nerve roots exit each of the remaining vertebral levels beyond the spinal cord.

If you have a sacral spinal cord injury, it may appear as though every element of your life is severely impacted. This kind of harm affects the physical body, mind, emotions, and social life. However, you can still get treated and recover from a sacral spinal cord injury. It all starts with knowing the level of the spinal cord injury, which is essential in helping you understand and determine what functions may be affected before and after treatment.

Damage to the spine at the sacrum levels affects the nerve roots as follows:

5 Sacral Injury Level

S1 Sacral Injury

This injury mainly affects the hip and the groin region which extends to the fourth and pinky toes, heel, and part of the calf. If you have an S1 spinal cord injury, you also experience ankle pain.

S2 Sacral Injury

The S2 nerve affects the back of the thigh, having sensation in most parts of the back of your legs and the ability to bend the knees.

S3 Sacral Injury

S3 affects mainly the areas around the medial buttocks.

S4 & 5 Sacral Injuries

These nerves affect the perianal area, leaving some regions intact and free from damage.
The pelvic cavity is affected by the S2, S3, and S4 spinal nerves, which facilitate functions connected to sex, the bladder, and the bowels. Accordingly, these functions may or may not be impaired depending on the severity of the injury.

Effects of a Sacral Injury

Despite the absence of a spinal cord in the sacral area of the spine, the sacral nerve begins in the lumbar spine. Therefore, any injury to the lower lumbar spinal nerve that extends into the sacrum may cause severe symptoms resembling spinal damage.

If you have sacral nerve damage, you may experience symptoms on one or both sides of the body. Meanwhile, damage to the sacral spine may cause you to lose some function in your legs or hips. You could find it difficult to walk or drive a car.

Any sacral cord injury may badly impact your bladder or bowel control, as it’s an essential part of the pelvic organ system. However, it’s still possible to be able to take care of yourself and be completely independent. Sacral spinal nerve damage can impede erectile function and accompanying fertility.

Key Signs and Symptoms for Sacral Spinal Cord Injury

Signs and symptoms of spinal cord injury may appear right away or may take some time to appear when the spinal cord swells and bleeds. If you suffer sacral nerve roots, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Loss of control of your bladder or bowel
• Breathing difficulty
• Pain in the lower back
• Pain extending down the back of your legs
• Spasms of your muscles
• Loss of ability to feel heat or cold
• Pain in the groin and buttocks area
• Burning sensation or numbness
• Reduced ability to walk

Bear in mind that nutrition plays a big role in this spinal issue as well. The nervous system transports nutrients through the bloodstream that our gut absorbs, therefore an insufficient amount of these said nutrients contributes health concerns to your physical body over time when not replenished regularly. Your thyroid is affected by such changes that your body goes through and goes unnoticed for a long period of time.

Be mindful that assessing spinal cord issue should begin by questioning your nutrition and health maintenance practices including regular exercises, daily stretching and mindful eating habits.

If you believe you are suffering from this health issue or someone you know, I can help assess your situation by reaching out to me. Let's start by sending me an email .

Namaste