Though it can happen to anyone at any time,
spinal cord injuries usually occur during routine
activities of daily living: while driving to and from
work, slipping in a bathtub or diving into shallow
water. It does not only happen to young men and
women participating in contact sports. About 500,000
Americans are paralyzed as a result of spinal cord
injuries. Each year approximately 12,000 new injuries
occur. More than one injury for every hour of the day.