If you suspect a spinal injury in an injured person, what is the recommended action?

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When there’s a suspected spinal injury, the priority is to prevent any further movement of the spine because even small changes can worsen injury to the spinal cord. The best action is to keep the person still and immobilize the head and neck in a straight line with the body, so the spine stays aligned while you call for help and assess their condition. Turning them into a recovery position or moving them to a chair could twist the neck or spine and cause more damage. Checking for a pulse is part of the overall assessment, but it doesn’t replace the need to maintain spinal alignment; you’d continue monitoring while keeping the spine stable and only move them if absolutely necessary for safety or unless you’re trained to safely roll them as part of a spinal-immobilization technique.