Paralysis

General description of the disease

This is a loss of muscle function in a part of the body. It can be temporary or permanent.

Muscle is a special type of tissue that allows the body to move. They are controlled by the nervous system, which processes messages from all parts of the body. Sometimes nerve cells or neurons that control muscles are affected or injured. When this happens, the person loses the ability to move the muscles on their own, which means that they are paralyzed.^[2].

The reasons that provoke the onset of paralysis

1. 1 Physical injuries such as sports or car accidents.
2. 2 Poisoning, infection, blockage of blood vessels and various tumors.
3. 3 Defects in the developing brain of the fetus or trauma to the brain during childbirth can cause the baby to have a paralytic condition known as cerebral paralysis.
4. 4 Environmental factors such as toxins, radiation or poisons.
5. 5 Infectious or autoimmune diseases such as HIV, Lyme disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome.
6. 6 Paralysis is one of the most common disorders resulting from stroke. 9 out of 10 stroke survivors have some degree of paralysis immediately after an attack^[3].

Common causes of paralysis are:

• multiple sclerosis (17%);
• cerebral palsy (7%);
• post-polio syndrome (5%);
• traumatic head injury (4%);
• neurofibromatosis (4%);
• birth defects (2%)^[1].

In rare cases, there is no physical reason for the paralysis. Psychologists call this condition a conversion disorder, which means that a person converts their psychological anxiety into physical symptoms of paralysis, but nerve and muscle functions remain unchanged.

Paralysis symptoms

The most important symptom of paralysis is severe weakness or complete lack of muscle strength in the affected area, such as fingers, hands, and extremities. In this regard, other phenomena are added, such as changes in gait. If muscle strength has disappeared in the pelvic girdle, then the gait resembles rolling from one leg to the other. And in case of loss of strength of the muscles that are responsible for extending the foot, it begins to hang down, and with each step a person tries to raise the foot higher so as not to touch the ground with it. Also, muscle weakness can provoke the inability to walk, get up from a sitting position.

Sometimes with paralysis, the movement of the eyeballs is disrupted – one or both eyes cannot turn to the sides, and this provokes the development of strabismus.

If we are talking about paralysis of the muscles of the soft palate, a person has slurred speech, he is very nasal.

Given the fact that very often the cause of paralysis is damage to the spinal cord, it is important to know about its symptoms:

• very severe back pain or pressure in the neck, head;
• weakness, lack of coordination, or immobilization of any part of the body;
• numbness, tingling, or loss of feeling in your hands, fingers, feet, or toes;
• loss of bladder or bowel control;
• Difficulty balancing and walking
• breathing disorder after injury;
• twisted or abnormally twisted neck or back.

Types of paralysis

There are a large number of types of paralysis, since there are many different factors that provoke it. But doctors distinguish 4 most common types, depending on which part of the body is affected.

1. Monoplegia – is a paralysis of one area of ​​the body, most often a limb. People with monoplegia usually retain control of the rest of their body, but cannot move or feel the affected limb. Although cerebral palsy is the main cause of monoplegia, a number of other injuries and illnesses can lead to this form of partial paralysis, including:

• blows;
• swelling;
• nerve injury due to injury or disease;
• nerve damage;
• damage to motor neurons;
• brain injury.

Monoplegia is sometimes a temporary condition and is especially common after a stroke or traumatic brain injury. When the nerves affecting the paralyzed area are not completely severed, the functionality of the affected area can be restored with physical therapy.

2. Hemiplegia – affects the arm and leg on one side of the body. As with monoplegia, the most common cause is cerebral paralysis… With hemiplegia, the degree of paralysis is different for each person and may change over time. Hemiplegia often begins with a tingling sensation, progresses to muscle weakness, and increases to complete paralysis. However, many people with hemiplegia find that their level of activity varies from day to day, depending on their overall health, activity level, and other factors. Sometimes hemiplegia is temporary. The overall prognosis depends on the treatment. Early intervention and physical therapy have a positive effect.

3. Paraplegia refers to paralysis below the waist and usually affects both legs, hips, and other functions, including sexual and bowel movements. The stereotypical view of paraplegia states that people with the condition cannot walk, move their legs, or feel anything below the waist. But this is not the case. Sensitivity for this lesion varies for each person in its own way, and sometimes it can change at different periods of time. Thus, paraplegia refers to significant impairment of function and movement, not necessarily permanent and complete paralysis. Spinal cord injuries are the most common cause of paraplegia. These injuries interfere with the brain’s ability to send and receive signals below the injury site. Other reasons also include:

• spinal cord infections;
• spinal cord lesions;
• brain tumors;
• brain infections;
• rarely – damage to the nerves in the hips or waist;
• oxygen deficiency in the brain or spinal cord due to suffocation, surgical accidents, violence and similar reasons;
• stroke;
• congenital malformations of the brain and spinal cord.

4. Quadriplegia (another name is tetraplegia), is a paralysis below the neck. Typically, all four limbs and trunk are affected. As with paraplegia, the degree of disability and loss of functionality can vary from person to person and even from moment to moment. Some quadriplegics spontaneously restore some or all of their functions, while others slowly retrain their brains and organs through specific physical therapy and exercise. The main cause of quadriplegia is spinal cord injury. The most common causes of spinal cord injury are car accidents, violent acts, falls and sports injuries.

There are a number of other reasons that provoke quadriplegia:

• acquired brain injuries due to infections, stroke;
• oxygen starvation of the brain due to suffocation, accidents associated with anesthesia, anaphylactic shock;
• damage to the spine and brain;
• tumors of the spine and brain;
• spinal and brain infections;
• nerve damage throughout the body;
• congenital anomalies;
• allergic reactions to drugs;
• drug or alcohol overdose.

Also, doctors distinguish types of paralysis, depending on the duration of the disease. For example, it can be temporary like Bell’s palsy… This is the name of the condition that causes temporary facial paralysis.

There are also concepts such as listless and spastic paralysis. Flabby causes the muscles to contract and become flabby. Spastic paralysis affects tight, stiff muscles. This can cause them to twitch uncontrollably or spasm.

There are also parkinsonism… It is a chronic type of paralysis that is characterized by tremors in the limbs. As a rule, it manifests itself in people over 50 years old. The most common causes of it are mental trauma, atherosclerosis, various types of intoxication, and previously suffered encephalitis.

Complications of paralysis

Since paralysis causes immobility, it has a significant effect on the functioning of other body systems. These include:

• changes in blood circulation and respiration;
• changes in the kidneys and gastrointestinal system;
• changes in muscles, joints and bones;
• muscle spasms;
• pressure sores;
• edema;
• feeling of numbness or pain;
• bacterial infections;
• disruption of the normal functioning of tissues, glands and organs;
• constipation;
• loss of urinary control;
• sexual dysfunction;
• abnormal sweating;
• difficult work of the thought process;
• Difficulty swallowing or speaking
• vision problems^[4].

Prolonged stay in a state of minimal mobility can delay the recovery period, and is accompanied by dizziness, headaches, impaired blood supply, sleep patterns, and light-headedness.

Prevention of paralysis

The main way to prevent the development of paralysis is to adjust your lifestyle so as to minimize the risks of diseases in which paralysis is a concomitant symptom or consequence.

It is important to treat infectious diseases on time, give up bad habits such as smoking, alcohol, drug use.

Also, doctors advise adhering to an active and healthy lifestyle – spending time in the fresh air, finding for yourself that type of activity that brings pleasure, and doing it. For example, running, cycling, going to the gym, or dancing, fitness training.

You also need to eat right – at least 3 times a day, while consuming healthy foods fortified with vitamins.

If you have any health complaints, ailments, you need to immediately consult a doctor in order to prevent the development of the disease, its development into a chronic stage. Regular medical examinations and uncomplicated health care will help protect you from serious illness.

Diagnosis of paralysis

Anyone who has suffered a head or neck injury needs immediate medical evaluation for the possibility of a spinal injury. Doctors say it is safer to assume patients have a spinal injury until proven otherwise, because a serious spinal injury is not always immediately apparent. If it is not recognized, it can have more serious consequences. Numbness or paralysis can appear instantly, or it can be felt gradually, developing as a consequence of bleeding or swelling around the spinal cord. The time interval between trauma detection and treatment can be critical in determining severity and recovery.^[5].

In order to determine the diagnosis, the doctor conducts a survey of the patient about how long there has been no strength in any muscle group, which preceded its loss, whether anyone in the family suffered from such complaints.

After that, a medical examination is carried out, which allows you to assess the degree of muscle strength, as well as to find other symptoms of neurological pathology (muscle atrophy, swallowing disorders, strabismus, facial asymmetry, and others).

After – blood tests are prescribed. Doctors examine the presence of inflammation in the blood, an increase in the level of muscle metabolic products, and examine whether the body has been poisoned. It is also important to examine the blood for myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease characterized by pathological muscle fatigue.

Further, a detailed examination of the body is carried out in the form of electroencephalography (assessment of the electrical activity of different parts of the brain); electroneuromyography (assessment of muscle activity); computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head and spinal cord (to detect abnormalities in the structure of the tissue of the brain and spinal cord, as well as to determine the presence of tumors, hemorrhages, abscesses, etc.).

Treatment of paralysis in mainstream medicine

Currently, no cure for permanent paralysis has been invented. Researchers are confident that partial or even complete recovery is possible with some types of paralysis.

Whether it’s stroke paralysis, spinal cord injury, or polio, the methods of treatment and recovery are similar in mainstream medicine. Treatment usually focuses on restoring the connection between the brain and the body. For example, British researchers have developed a wearable electronic device that helps restore functionality to the affected arm by transmitting weak electrical currents to the nerves, thereby activating the muscles in the arms and hands. This method is called functional electrical stimulation or FES. It is also used to restore the lower limbs and feet.

In 2009, the journal Brain published a study in which it was reported that stimulation with an electrical impulse in combination with an assisted exercise program for 7 months allowed paralyzed people with no mobility to regain a significant degree of control of their legs, allowing them to get up (stand) for a period of time without outside help^[7].

In general, for each type of paralysis and for an individual person there is a different approach to treatment. Peripheral paralysis is cured with massage, physiotherapy exercises. Sometimes the doctor can prescribe drug therapy, which, nevertheless, must be constantly accompanied by physical activity that is feasible for the patient.

With spastic paralysis (damage to the central motor neuron), surgery is prescribed.

Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!