Traumatic injuries can often lead to compression of the spinal cord. This compression puts pressure on the spinal nerve and roots, causing numbness, tingling, pain, and in extreme cases, paralysis. Patients taken to the emergency room with a spinal cord injury can be candidates for immediate emergency spinal decompression. A surgeon can use a variety of techniques, such as a laminectomy, discectomy, or spinal fusion in order to remove pressure off of the spinal cord. A rapid surgical intervention for traumatic spinal cord injuries can lead to patients having regained control of their limbs and other bodily functions.