Doctors usually decide to assess patients for spinal cord injuries based on two factors: the location and type of injury a patient has sustained, and his or her symptoms. Anyone who has fallen, suffered a blow, or lost consciousness may have suffered a spinal cord injury. If you also experience headaches, loss of movement, tingling, difficulty moving, or difficulty breathing, your doctor may decide to assess you for a spinal cord injury.

No single test can assess all spinal cord injuries. Instead, doctors rely on a variety of protocols, including:

Clinical evaluation: The doctor will make a detailed list of all of someone's symptoms, and may conduct blood tests, ask a patient to move their limbs, follow movement in their eyes, and conduct other tests to narrow down symptoms.

Imaging tests: The doctor may order MRI imaging or other forms of radiological imaging to view the spinal column and spinal cord.