Paralysis: Causes and Treatment

About Paralysis

Paralysis means the loss of muscle function and is usually accompanied by a sensory loss in the affected area. It’s usually caused by damage to the central nervous system especially the spinal cord. Causes include stroke, trauma, nerve damage, polio, multiple sclerosis, etc. Paralysis can occur either partially or fully. Paralysis of both arms and legs is called quadriplegia and lower half paralysis is called paraplegia. It happens because the brain can’t send messages to the different parts of the body for various reasons. If the nerve fibers are damaged the paralysis is usually irreversible.

Causes of Paralysis

Paralysis can happen for a number of reasons, but the most common causes are as follows:

Stroke: Almost 30 percent of all paralyses are caused by stroke. It may due to the blood that flows to the brain get blocked, or a blood vessel inside the brain bursts. 

Spinal cord injury: It is the second largest cause of paralysis after stroke. It may due to the nerves inside the spinal cord get damaged. It may occur because of workplace accidents, motor vehicle accidents, sports accident, falls, and birth defects, being a victim of violence, natural disasters, and many other known and unknown causes.

Injury to the brain – causes damage to various important functions such as speech, thought, cognitive abilities, memory and more.

Traumatic brain injury: It is a brain injury that occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, for example a motorbike accident or victim of an assault causing injury to the brain and resulting in partial or permanent paralysis.

Cerebral palsy: In simple words, cerebral palsy is brain paralysis. It is a neurodegenerative disorder that occurs as a result of abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement.

Multiple sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disorder of the central nervous system. Although MS does not always cause paralysis, most people affected with MS will need mobility aids such as wheelchairs or crutches because of fatigue, weakened muscles or balance problems.

Post-polio syndrome: It is a condition that affects survivors of polio. The syndrome can occur years after initial polio attack. Muscle weakness, fatigue, and paralysis are a common symptom of the syndrome. The cause is unknown but experts say that the syndrome can occur because of the weakness of nerve cells or brain damage due to virus or combination of both and other factors.

Neurofibromatosis: It is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow around the nerves. Paralysis may occur if the nerves are damaged. There are other causes also but mainly the above mentioned are the main causes.

Treatment

Researchers and medical professionals are hopeful that partial or even complete recovery is possible with some types of paralysis. Whether it is paralysis from stroke, spinal cord injury, or polio, treatment and recovery techniques are similar. Treatment is usually aimed at restoring the brain-body connection.

Exercise Therapy

Exercising regularly will help to maintain as well as improve blood circulation and also strengthen the affected muscles. It will also help to regain balance and motor skills in the areas that are affected.

A physiotherapist can:

Build a recovery plan and customised exercise based on the patient’s overall condition, symptoms and wounds.

Improve balance.

Teach strengthening exercises.

Care for wounds.

Assess the patient’s bed and help guide for the perfect bed or seat that can help.

There are various exercises that the physiotherapist will teach. Exercises such as hip rotation exercise and its variation, ankle rotation exercise, toe rotation exercise and leg rotation exercise can be extremely beneficial. All these exercises will help to bring back strength to the muscles and can also improve your loved one’s ability to move.

In addition to the above exercises, a physiotherapist will also help to try out various other forms of exercises. Aerobics exercises will help in the exchange of oxygen to different muscle tissues. It is especially helpful to one who suffered the paralysis attack after a stroke. Such exercises will also help to improve sensory-motor function.

Leg rotation exercises will help if they are suffering from paralysis in the lower limbs. The physiotherapist can also suggest some physical conditioning exercises that can improve overall health, fitness as well as stamina of the patient. This will help them perform better while exercising and also speed up the recovery process.

AVA Rehabilitation center specializes in managing disabilities related to Spinal cord injuries, Stroke, Orthopedic and musculoskeletal disorders.