How do you treat paralysis

The flow of ions within muscle cells helps produce muscle contractions and movement. Meanwhile, severe head or neck injuries and neuromuscular disorders can lead to permanent paralysis.

Damage to the spinal cord is the most common cause of paraplegia. Flaccid paralysis damages the lower motor neurons that stimulate skeletal muscle movement. Over time, the muscles shrink or deteriorate. 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. 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. According to the results of the U. Paralysis Prevalence and Health Disparities Survey , the most common causes of paralysis in the United States include:. 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.

Some other possible causes of nervous system damage and resulting muscle weakness or paralysis include:. The prominent conditions that lead to paralysis are:.

Paralysis is sudden and is often a side effect of injury to the brain or spinal cord. Sometimes a stroke or cancerous cells pressing against the brain cells can also cause paralysis.

The most common symptoms of paralysis are spam, loss of sensation in arms and legs, reduced muscle function, reduced motor functions, and losing the ability to talk. Stroke is the most prominent cause of paralysis. Other causes of paralysis include cerebral palsy, post-polio syndrome, brain and spinal cord injuries, neurofibromatosis and conditions that are present by birth.

While a few forms of paralysis let the patient continue to lead a normal life, there are a few that can cause severe complications. The dependence on crutches, wheelchairs, full-time nursing and a lot of other factors can increase significantly. The most common complications are chest pains, high blood pressure, and depression. Sex life and fertility are affected differently in men and women. In men, it becomes difficult for them to maintain a psychogenic erection as an erection stimulated by thoughts would require the nerves above the spine to send the signals.

In high-level cases of partial paralysis and all the cases of complete paralysis, a psychogenic erection is not possible. However, the penis sometimes becomes erect in response to a touch, maintaining the erection for prolonged periods might be challenging. In women, the sex drive does is not affected by partial or complete paralysis.

However, few women might experience a reduced drive because of their appearance or having to use a bladder or bowel control system. In women, however, the vagina does not lubricate itself upon arousal as the nerves responsible for this are above T6.

As an alternative, water-based lubricants like KY jelly can be used. There is currently no cure to paralysis, however, there are multiple options available in terms of extensive care and mobility that could improve the lives of patients with partial paralysis. Patients suffering from partial paralysis in the legs, with good upper body strength can use manual wheelchairs to commute short distances while people with less upper body strength can use electric wheelchairs.

Cars can also be retro-fitted to suit the needs of the specially-abled. The accelerator and brake pedals can be replaced with levers while the steering wheel can be customised to an extent where it can be manoeuvred using a wrist instead of relying on fingers to grip it.

Patients suffering from locked-in syndrome can use specially adapted computers to make small sentences or improve the form of current communication. Exercise and regular physiotherapy have seen positive results in patients suffering from partial or complete paralysis either in hands or legs.

In a few cases, with exercise, patients have been successful in recovering sensation and motor functions in one of the two affected limbs.

Depending on the nature of the condition, brain and spinal cord surgeries can help treat the condition by reducing the size of the swelling. In the treatment regime, the patient must continue the medication course without any hindrance as these medications help prevent any onset of viral or bacterial infections.

Paralysis in quadriplegia and locked-in syndrome causes respiratory distress. In such conditions, the patients can either choose to rely on non-invasive or invasive ventilators. This should be acted upon only after consulting a medical practitioner.

What is Paralysis? Paralysis is a condition where the muscles of a certain body part lose sensation and its functions. Paralysis is often a side effect of a stroke or a cancerous tumour pressing against the brain or spinal cord. In most cases though, it is also when the body sustain serious injuries to the back of the brain. What is the life expectancy of a person suffering from quadriplegia?

Earlier, the life expectancy of a patient with Paralysis was 29, however, this has come up to Most patients are still able to drive to work, use alternatives and depend on crutches and wheelchairs to resume normal day to day activities.

Can paralysis be prevented? Paralysis that is caused in early childhood as a side effect of a polio infection can be avoided by getting the baby vaccinated. That said, the other forms of paralysis are mostly as a side effect to a reaction happening in the brain or spinal cord. What are the secondary effects of paralysis? The secondary side effects of paralysis are depression, reduced sex drive, complications in conceiving, respiratory distress, muscle weakness, nerve damage, joint pains, inflammation in the skin, severe headaches, and chest pains.

Certain species of fish are poisonous by nature, like puffer fish. Some species of edible fish found in the Pacific and Caribbean Oceans also have ciguatera poison — similar to that of a puffer fish — produced by dinoflagellate, which is a tiny sea parasite.

This poison can cause paralysis since it attacks the nervous system of the person who eats it. Food poisoning can be caused by ingesting mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters because they can contain Saxitoxin — which is a potent neurotoxin. Ingestion of saxitoxin can result in a variety of severe illnesses. It can even produce paralysis or weakness around the mouth within a few minutes of ingesting it, which can spread to the rest of the body gradually.

The poisons in pesticides on produce can cause harm as well. It is therefore critical to wash produce thoroughly prior to consumption. Some cases of food infections that have led to paralyzation can be attributed to the consumption of wild leaves, nuts, berries, flowers, botulism, under ripe tubers, arsenic or lead from fertilizers, cadmium from containers, lead from potteries, acids, and more.

The best way to avoid insect-borne infections is to avoid exposure and, when exposure to insect bites is unavoidable, to use bug spray and other deterrents to insect bites. In terms of paralysis from infections related to food, your best defense is to follow safe handling instructions such as washing your food, avoiding cross contamination, and cooking your food to the recommended temperature.

There are many myths and misconceptions about what it is like living with paralysis. Some of the most pervasive myths about paralysis and the people living with it include that people with paralysis:. All you can do is focus on addressing the symptoms of your type of paralysis to minimize their effects on your life.

Some spinal cord injury paralysis treatment options include:. There are a lot of avenues researchers are looking at when it comes to spinal cord injury research.

You have more traditional research areas like stem cell therapy , and then you have the more obscure research utilizing Chondroitinase ABC, the scar-eating enzyme. We will be talking about the latter in this article, highlighting one of the more hopeful areas of research we can remember.

They discovered that embedding the Chondroitinase ABC enzyme in lipid microtubes on a group of dogs with naturally occurring spinal cord injuries helped them regain some limb function. The enzyme was able to eat away at the scar successfully. This is exactly what researchers are hoping will happen in humans; the Chondroitinase ABC enzyme will eat away at the scar on humans with spinal cord injuries, and help spur nerve regeneration.

The spinal cord injury community has known about the Chondroitinase ABC enzyme for almost two decades. Discovered in the United States by Dr. Jerry Silver, it was discovered that one could stabilize the enzyme Chondroitinase ABC when taking it from certain strains of bacteria. King's College in London has been researching how Chondroitinase ABC can help spinal cord injuries for almost two decades.

Since , there have been several studies looking at Chondroitinase ABC. In , it was discovered that combining treadmill therapy and exercise in combination with Chondroitinase ABC in animal models showed better than expected functional discovery. Encouraged by these results, in Spinal-Research.

In , Dr. Silver and his team looked at how Chondroitinase ABC, when combined with nerve graphs, could help return respiratory function in quadriplegic rodents, and they discovered that within 12 weeks a flush of the new nerves grew at the injury site, helping partially restore breathing.

While there are no human trials planned involving Chondroitinase ABC yet, with the latest results coming from the canine study, a human clinical trial could be very soon. Remember, you can keep up on the latest clinical trials available in the United States by visiting the clinical trials watch site and searching "Chondroitinase ABC" : centerwatch. Medical expenses alone can easily reach millions of dollars. The problem is that earning money while recovering from a spinal cord injury is going to be nigh impossible for most.

Who is going to pay for those medical treatments? In an ideal world, your medical insurance would cover all of the cost of your spinal cord injury recovery. It may be necessary to try to find out who is responsible for causing the paralysis and make them pay for the damage done. This is where having a spinal cord injury attorney can help.

Many states have strict limits on how long after an injury occurs that you can seek financial compensation. The faster you can find an attorney after discovering an injury, the better! Have questions about spinal cord injuries or how to look for legal assistance? Reach out to us for answers! Leave a Comment. Spinal cord injuries are traumatic for patients and their families.

They cause disruptive changes to every aspect of your life and there is a lot of new information to navigate and understand. Our experts have collected everything in one place to help you learn more about your injury, locate doctors and treatment centers, find financial support, and get assistance navigating your next move. Table of Content 1. What is Paralysis? What Does Permanent Paralysis Mean? What Does Temporary Paralysis Mean? Permanent vs Temporary Paralysis 5. Types of Paralysis and Their Symptoms 6.

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