Inside your spine runs the spinal cord — the body's main nerve cable. When a vertebra breaks, the broken bone becomes a blade next to the cord: a wrong movement after the injury can complete the cut the accident started.

In short — what to do

  1. Tell the person: "don't move" calmly and firmly — many casualties try to get up from the shock.
  2. Stabilise the head with your hands: kneel behind their head and hold both sides of the head steadily, in the position you found it, until the ambulance arrives.
  3. Call 998 (or point at a specific person and tell them to call).
  4. Keep them warm and reassured — cover with a blanket if available and keep talking to them.
  5. The only two exceptions for moving: immediate danger (fire, highway) — or stopped breathing, because CPR outranks everything.

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Hold the head steady with both hands, exactly as found — stillness is the rescue
Hold the head steady with both hands, exactly as found — stillness is the rescue
The full details

When do I suspect a spine injury?

  • A car or motorcycle crash, or a pedestrian hit.
  • A fall from height (ladder, roof, horse/camel).
  • A dive into shallow water.
  • Neck or back pain after an injury, or numbness/weakness in the limbs.
  • Anyone unconscious after a significant accident — treated as a spine injury until proven otherwise.

What do I do?

  1. Tell the person: "don't move" calmly and firmly — many casualties try to get up from the shock.
  2. Stabilise the head with your hands: kneel behind their head and hold both sides of the head steadily, in the position you found it, until the ambulance arrives.
  3. Call 998 (or point at a specific person and tell them to call).
  4. Keep them warm and reassured — cover with a blanket if available and keep talking to them.
  5. The only two exceptions for moving: immediate danger (fire, highway) — or stopped breathing, because CPR outranks everything.

Absolutely forbidden

  • Sitting the casualty up or leaning them against a wall.
  • Driving them in a private car "faster than the ambulance" — the ambulance transports them immobilised; your car cannot.
  • Bending the neck or putting a pillow under the head.
  • Dragging them by the arms or legs without a true danger.

Remember

The best first-aider for a spine injury is the one who almost "does nothing": two steady hands on the head, a reassuring voice, and an ambulance call. Here, heroism is restraint.

This content is for general health education only and is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. In an emergency, call 998.

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