Before You Take the Plunge ... Kessler Offers 10 Important Tips on Wa...( WEST ORANGE N.J. June 25 /- Summer is...),Health

WEST ORANGE, N.J., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is here and along with days spent at the pool, lake or ocean comes the increased risk of water-related injuries. In fact, diving is among the leading causes of spinal cord and traumatic head injuries in the United States today.

"Diving is arguably the most dangerous thing a person can do in water," says Steven Kirshblum, MD, Medical Director and Director of Spinal Cord Injury Services (http://www.kessler-rehab.com/patient-center/staff/DoctorDetails.aspx?ID=12) at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, NJ (http://www.kessler-rehab.com). "Injuries to the head, neck and spinal column are serious and can result in paralysis, or even death."

Each year thousands of people nationwide suffer spinal cord injuries and head trauma from diving into water that is too shallow. Diving accounts for more than half of all sports-related spinal cord injuries (http://www.kessler-rehab.com/programs/spinal-cord-injury-rehab/) and statistics indicate that 90% of diving-related accidents occur in water that is eight feet deep or less, and a majority of these accidents take place at home in above- or below- ground pools.

Whether you are a pool owner or guest, go to the lake or beach, safety is a priority. Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, one of the nation's leading rehabilitation hospitals and one of only 6 federally designated Model Systems for the treatment and research of both traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, offers these Top 10 Water Safety Tips:

• If you are a pool owner, be sure to have clearly marked depth indicators around the entire pool. Post "No Diving" signs - an
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