21/12/2021
â ī¸Paralysis
Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.
Paralysis refers to temporary or permanent loss of voluntary muscle movement in a body part or region.
People can experience localized, generalized, partial, or complete paralysis.
đWhat is paralysis?
Stroke, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy can cause paralysis.
Paralysis is the loss of voluntary muscle function in one or more parts of the body as a result of damage to the nervous system.
The nervous system has two parts:
âšī¸the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord.
âšī¸the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which contains the nerves outside of the CNS
The nerve cells, or neurons, in the PNS serve several functions.
Motor neurons, for instance, regulate muscle movement. Sensory neurons send information â about pressure, pain, and temperature, for example â to the CNS.
Paralysis occurs when nerve signals are interrupted as a result of damage to the nerves, spinal cord, or brain.
đ´Types
Doctors classify paralysis based on the following characteristics:
âšī¸Severity
The degree of muscle function loss determines the severity of paralysis.
Partial paralysis, or paresis, causes significant muscle weakness and impaired movement. However, people with paresis retain a small degree of control over the affected muscles.
Complete paralysis occurs when a person cannot move the affected body part.
âšī¸Duration
Duration refers to how long the paralysis lasts.
Some medical conditions, such as sleep paralysis, stroke, and Bellâs palsy, can cause temporary paralysis. Over time, people can regain partial or complete control over the affected muscles.
Other conditions that can cause the problem temporarily include hyperkalemic or hypokalemic periodic paralysis. They occur as a result of mutations that affect the CACNA1S or SCN4A genes.
These genes carry instructions for making proteins that transport sodium and calcium ions into and out of muscle cells. The flow of ions within muscle cells helps produce muscle contractions and movement.
Disruptions in the ion flow can lead to periodic episodes of muscle weakness and paralysis.
Meanwhile, severe head or neck injuries and neuromuscular disorders can lead to permanent paralysis.
âšī¸Location
Localized paralysis affects a small area of the body, such as the face, hands, or feet.
Generalized paralysis affects a larger area, including multiple parts of the body.
đ´Types of paralysis include:
âĄī¸Monoplegia: This affects one area, such as one arm or leg.
âĄī¸Hemiplegia: This affects one arm and one leg on the same side of the body.
âĄī¸Paraplegia: Also called lower body paralysis, this affects both legs and sometimes the hips and organs in the lower abdomen.
âĄī¸Quadriplegia: This affects both arms and legs, and sometimes muscles in the trunk, the functions of internal organs, or both.
đMuscle tension
Flaccid paralysis damages the lower motor neurons that stimulate skeletal muscle movement. Over time, the muscles shrink or deteriorate.
Flaccid paralysis is a common complication of polio, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source.
Other causes include inflammation of the spinal cord, also called myelitis, and Guillain-BarrÊ syndrome, a rareTrusted Source autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the PNS.
Spastic paralysis causes muscle stiffness, involuntary spasms, and muscle weakness. This form of paralysis can result from spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, or hereditary spastic paraplegia.
đ´Symptoms
Symptoms vary, depending on the type and cause of the issue. The most common paralysis symptom is the loss of muscle function in one or more parts of the body.
Other symptoms that may accompany paralysis include:
âĄī¸numbness or pain in the affected muscles
muscle weakness
âĄī¸visible signs of muscle loss (muscle atrophy)
âĄī¸stiffness
âĄī¸involuntary spasms or twitches
đ´Causes
âĄī¸stroke
âĄī¸spinal cord injury
âĄī¸cerebral palsy
âĄī¸multiple sclerosis
Muscle weakness and paralysis result from damage to the nervous system, which any of the health problems above can cause.
A healthy nervous system sends information back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body. Signals from the brain travel down the spinal cord and into the peripheral nerves throughout the body.
The peripheral nerves regulate numerous functions, including:
âĄī¸automatic functions, such as breathing and digestion
âĄī¸voluntary muscle movements, such as walking and chewing
âĄī¸sensory functions, such as pain, temperature, and pressure detection
âĄī¸Damage to any part of the nervous system can have severe effects on a personâs overall health and quality of life.
đ´Some other possible causes of nervous system damage and resulting muscle weakness or paralysis include:
âĄī¸brain or spinal cord tumors
âĄī¸infections, such as meningitis, encephalitis, and polio
âĄī¸spina bifida, or the incomplete development of the brain, spine, or spinal cord
âĄī¸motor neuron diseases, such as ALS and primary lateral sclerosis
âĄī¸autoimmune diseases, including Guillain-BarrÊ syndrome and lupus
inherited disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy and hypo- or hyperkalemic partial paralysis.
đ´Treatments
Temporary paralysis, such as that caused by Bellâs palsy or stroke, may resolve on its own without medical treatment.
Also, when paralysis results from a spinal cord injury or chronic neurological condition, a person may recover partial muscle control.
đ´Available treatments include:
âĄī¸physical therapy
âĄī¸occupational therapy
âĄī¸mobility devices, such as braces, walkers, and wheelchairs
âĄī¸medications
âĄī¸Emotional and social support can also play vital roles in a personâs treatment.
đ´ Exercise
âšī¸Passive exercise involves assisting your affected limbs through a movement. This is where stroke patients with paralysis should start. Passive exercise helps with paralysis recovery because it involves using your non-affected side to move your paralyzed muscles; and any type of movement sends signals to the brain.
