What do we do to protect our patients from injury when we immobilize them? But spinal immobilization protects the patient from injury! Maybe, but if spinal immobilization does offer any protection from any injury, it may only offer that protection when spinal immobilization is performed perfectly. We do not know what perfect spinal immobilization is, but it probably is not the method we currently use - strapping people to pieces of wood, or pieces of plastic. Here is one example of spinal immobilization creating more of a risk of paralysis. Imagine that we are dispatched to a motor vehicle collision. There is significant damage to the vehicles. Our patient is up and staggering around. We attempt to assess our patient and find that he is not cooperative. Mr. Charming is behaving in a way similar to other patients - patients who have stated that they might have consumed some alcohol, but only 2 drinks . However, Mr. Charming is not as charming as these previous patients. He does not even answer most of our questions, never mind demonstrating that his math skills become undefined beyond the number two. Protocol states that Mr. Charming should be immobilized to protect his neck from possible movement during transport. We attempt to put a collar on Mr. Charming, but find that we have to wrestle with him to keep the collar on his neck.

Original Source of Spinal Immobilization Harm