The spinal cord carries messages from the brain throughout the body and contains pairs of nerve fibers that transmit signals back and forth between your brain and spine. It also protects your spinal nerves as they branch out to different parts of your body. When you injure your spinal cord, the loss of function is related to the location and severity of the injury. Depending on where it happens, you could lose feeling in certain areas or have no movement at all. If the injury is severe, you may even become paralyzed.
A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in diseases that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons and is responsible for restoring lost abilities due to illness or injury.
Remember that for the proper selection of health professional that treats spinal cord injury you must consider the nature, severity and symptoms you are presenting.