09/08/2025
After an injury, spinal cord shock is a temporary phase where reflexes and movement stop. It can last from hours to weeks and makes it difficult to assess the full extent of an injury. Paralysis is the lasting loss of movement and sensation below the injury, which can be partial or complete.
Key differences include duration, reflex activity, muscle tone, and impact. Spinal shock is short-term, with a complete loss of reflexes and flaccid (limp) muscles. As it resolves, reflexes may return, revealing the true extent of paralysis. Paralysis can be flaccid or spastic (stiff), with varying reflex activity, and is often permanent.
In short, spinal shock is a temporary physiological response to spinal cord injury, while paralysis is a longer-term or permanent outcome of that injury.
