DIVING INTO SUMMER FUN FEET FIRST

DIVING INTO SUMMER FUN FEET FIRST

Spinal Cord Basics

The spinal cord plays a vital role in how the body functions – it allows the brain to communicate messages throughout the rest of the body. Comprised of millions of nerve cells, the spinal cord carries and distributes the signals that control everything we do. When the spinal cord is damaged, these messages are unable to get through, resulting in a loss of movement, sensation, or both. This is an injury known as a spinal cord injury (SCI).

The effects of an SCI depend on the location of the injury and its severity. When an SCI affects the cervical spine (neck region), it often results in quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs. When an SCI affects the thoracic or lumbar spine (mid/lower back), it often results in paraplegia, or paralysis of the legs.

A Call for Prevention

Unlike other parts of the body, the spinal cord is unable to heal itself once it has been damaged. This means that most SCIs are devastatingly irreversible. Even partial injuries to the spinal cord can significantly limit a person’s ability to walk, hold objects, breathe, or perform everyday tasks. Many individuals SCI live with permanent and life-altering challenges due to their physical impairments.

Ask those who work in injury prevention, and many will tell you that witnessing the tragic aftermath of shallow dives is what led them to this work. These injuries are not only life-changing, but they also become significantly more common as temperatures rise and people head to the water. Every summer at Shock Trauma, our team braces for a surge of young patients who arrive to us newly paralyzed from diving-related injuries – almost all of them with their lives forever changed. In fact, nearly half of all SCIs occur during the summer months, making education and awareness during this high-risk season critically important.

The Truth About Dive-Related Spinal Cord Injuries

Dive-Related Spinal Cord Injuries (DRSCIs) are cited as being the fourth leading cause of SCI in the United States. An estimated 90% of DRSCIs involve the cervical spine and result in paralysis from the neck down. This is not surprising: since the neck is the most mobile and vulnerable part of the spine, it is the first to absorb impact during a head strike.

Contrary to popular belief, most DRSCIs do not occur from dramatic dives off cliffs, diving boards, or bridges. These life-changing injuries often result from ordinary (and ostensibly harmless) activities, such as body surfing, diving from the edge of a pool or dock, misjudging water depth, or colliding with a diving board during a poorly executed dive.

These common scenarios highlight just how, in a split-second decision, a fun summer activity can turn into a catastrophic event.

Smart Diving Habits

While these types of injuries carry lifelong consequences, the encouraging news is that most DRSCIs are entirely preventable. Diving injuries are often linked to risky decisions, like diving under the influence (~35% of all DRSCIs), diving in unfamiliar locations (~60% of DRSCIs), or diving in locations where no lifeguard is present (~90% of all DRSCIs).

By following a few simple safe-diving precautions, protecting your neck and spine during summer water activities is easy and effective.

Never dive headfirst into unfamiliar water. Always enter feet first the first time.
Never dive into above-ground pools or the shallow end of any pool.
Don’t dive through inner tubes or pool toys.
Use a boogie board or flotation device instead of body surfing. Keep your head above the water.
Avoid diving into waves or surf zones. Waves can hide sandbars or shallow areas.
Check the depth. Only dive into water that is at least 10–12 feet deep.
Learn to dive properly. Take lessons to learn safe diving techniques.

Other Water Safety Tips

SCIs are not the only risk. There are plenty of other things to keep in mind during the summer months to make sure you stay safe around water and all the risks that come with it.

Never swim alone. Even strong swimmers can face unexpected dangers like rip currents, hidden rocks, or sudden fatigue, especially in unsupervised areas like rivers, ponds, or water-filled quarries. If you’re caught in a current, try to stay calm and float or swim parallel to the shore until you are free.
Don’t swim under the influence. Alcohol is a factor in about 1 in 5 drowning deaths. It impairs coordination, reaction time, and the ability to judge distance, depth, speed, and direction. These skills are critical for safe swimming, diving, and boating. People who are supervising other swimmers should also not be using alcohol or drugs.
Be prepared in case of emergencies. Learning CPR can make the difference between life and death in a water-related emergency. Courses are widely available through the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and many local hospitals or fire departments. Always keep a phone nearby and make sure rescue items (like life rings and reaching poles) are easily accessible.
Practice safe and responsible boating. Nearly 80% of boating-related deaths involve operators without formal safety training. Take a certified boating safety course and always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket when boating, jet skiing, fishing, or playing near open water. Water wings and other blow-up swimming aids should not be used in place of life vests. Never swim around anchored boats, in motorboat lanes, or where people are waterskiing.

Remember: the safest dive is the one you don’t take. Share these tips, keep yourself and others safe, and “PLUNGE WITH PRECAUTION TO PREVENT PARALYSIS” this summer.

Dr. Kristin Barron has been with Shock Trauma as a physical therapist since 2015. She developed a passion for supporting individuals with critical illnesses and traumatic injuries through her extensive experience working on the hospital’s critical care units, including the neurotrauma ICU and the multi-trauma ICU. She now serves as the supervisor for the Shock Trauma Injury Prevention Program, where she leads and coordinates trauma prevention outreach programs throughout the state. Additionally, Kristin oversees the Trauma Survivors Network at Shock Trauma, where she thrives on creating opportunities that connect the worlds of trauma prevention and trauma survivorship.