In simple words: Damage to the spinal cord or nerves in the neck can cause loss of feeling or movement in the body below the neck, sometimes even leading to breathing problems and death.Symptoms can include pain, trouble speaking, loss of bladder or bowel control, weakness, and numbness. Doctors diagnose this by looking at your medical history, doing physical exams and imaging tests like X-rays or MRI scans. Treatment might include medication, a neck brace, physical therapy, or surgery.

Injury of nerves and spinal cord at the neck level refers to damage to the spinal cord and nerve tissue due to traumatic (e.g., motor vehicle accidents, falls, penetrating or blunt trauma, sports-related or diving injuries) and nontraumatic conditions (e.g., compression fractures from osteoporosis, arthritis, or cancer; inflammation of the spinal cord). This can lead to temporary or permanent loss of sensation and mobility below the injury site, potentially resulting in death due to respiratory compromise.Clinical manifestations may include pain, impaired speech, loss of bladder or bowel control, tingling/numbness, muscle weakness, dizziness, tenderness, stiff neck, spasms, pressure ulcers, and loss of motion. Diagnosis involves patient history, physical examination (assessing range of motion, muscle strength, tenderness), imaging (X-rays, CT, MRI to rule out fractures and assess spinal cord damage), and nerve conduction studies. Treatment options include medication (analgesics, corticosteroids, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, NSAIDs), immobilization (cervical collar), pressure ulcer prevention, physical therapy, and surgery (for severe injuries).

Example 1: A 25-year-old male involved in a motor vehicle accident presents with neck pain, loss of sensation in his arms and legs, and respiratory difficulty. Imaging reveals a C5-C6 fracture-dislocation with spinal cord compression.The code S14 would be used to describe the spinal cord injury, with additional codes to specify the fracture and the external cause (the accident)., A 60-year-old female with osteoporosis experiences a spontaneous compression fracture of C7 resulting in mild paresthesia in her right arm.The code S14 would describe the nerve injury, with an additional code for the compression fracture., A 16-year-old male sustains a diving injury, leading to quadriplegia.The code S14 would describe the spinal cord injury at the neck level, along with supplementary codes for the diving injury and any associated fractures or wounds.

Detailed history of the injury mechanism, physical examination findings (including neurological exam), imaging reports (X-rays, CT scans, MRI), nerve conduction studies, and documentation of all treatments and interventions (medication, surgery, physical therapy).

** The severity of cervical spinal cord injuries ranges from mild paresthesia to complete paralysis and respiratory failure.Accurate coding requires thorough documentation of the patient's presentation and the treatment provided.