Brown-Sequard syndrome is a rare spinal disorder wherein a part of the spinal cord is damaged. Though the damage might bring its own set of problems, it would certainly not lead to the spinal cord getting severed. There are many causes for this disorder, with trauma being the main cause.
The most common cause of the syndrome is a blunt or penetrating trauma attack at the neck or the back. Usually, the person sustains some kind of puncture wound that ends up damaging the spinal cord.
Even riding the rollercoaster or chiropractic manipulation can result in this syndrome, particularly if the person already is predisposed to it.
A person affected by the syndrome loses the sense of touch, vibrations and position in three dimensions below the injury site. The person cannot experience pain or temperature on the side that is opposite to the side where the spine was injured.
This syndrome requires proper treatment, and there are many specialised spine treatment units in the UK & USA that can treat it.
This syndrome cannot be treated in a clinic. It requires specialist treatment at a spinal cord injury centre.
This is one of the 11 centres in the UK that has the capability to treat spinal cord injuries, including Brown-Sequard syndrome. The centre has 24 beds and out of these, eight are for acute patients while 16 are rehabilitation beds. At any given time, the centre can treat up to 40 patients at one time.
This centre is based at the Nottingham University Hospitals. The centre has a musculoskeletal and neuroscience directorate along with a full-fledged orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery and neurology department to treat patients suffering from this syndrome. The centre has seven full-time consultants, who have the knowledge and experience on dealing with a wide range of spinal injuries and pathologies.
This centre caters to new and existing spinal cord injuries. It offers spinal surgical service and also has level one trauma centre along with interventional radiology. It has facilities for rehabilitating patients with spinal cord injuries.
Located at Buckinghamshire, the Stoke Mandeville Hospital is internationally renowned for treating spinal injuries. This is another specialised hospital that has the capability and know-how to treat patients suffering from the syndrome. The hospital has a unit dedicated for spinal injuries.
Even though the syndrome is rare, there are many hospitals in the UK that have the ability to treat patients suffering from the condition. In the United States, the Mayo Clinic is known for treating patients suffering from Brown-Sequard syndrome.