United Spinal Association would like to thank Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) for championing the passage of a resolution designating September 2023 as National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. “I’m proud to support the spinal cord injury community once again by dedicating September 2023 as National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. We celebrate the resilience and determination of those living with these injuries, and recommit ourselves to supporting research and education to improve their quality of life, says Senator Rubio.
The resolution recognizes the 302,000 individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the U.S., including more than 42,000 military veterans.
“Thank you to Senators Rubio and Baldwin for their continued leadership and support of the spinal cord injury community; helping to raise awareness and encourage further research to develop better treatments and therapies and improve the quality of life for all individuals living with spinal cord injuries,” says Vincenzo Piscopo, President and CEO, United Spinal Association.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the annual incidence of SCI is approximately 54 cases per one million people in the U.S., or about 18,000 new SCI cases each year. The average age at injury has increased from 29 years during the 1970s to 43 years since 2015. About 79 percent of new traumatic SCI cases are male. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury, closely followed by falls. Acts of violence (primarily gunshot wounds) and sports/recreation activities are also relatively common causes.
SCI is an injury to the spinal cord that may affect motor, sensory and autonomic function often resulting in paralysis, loss of sensation, and autonomic dysfunction (such as blood pressure instability and disruptions in temperature regulation). People who sustain a spinal cord injury often have permanent and profound neurologic deficits and accompanying disability.
View the official press release from Senator Rubio and Senator Baldwin.