Paralysis – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and recovery

Paralysis is the inability or complete loss of muscle function in the body. Loss of muscle function in itself does not cause paralysis. It is more of a disruption in the communication process between

By: Mita Majumdar | | Updated: May 22, 2014 10:58 am

Tags: Paralysis medication Paralysis treatment

Paralysis is the inability or complete loss of muscle function in the body. Loss of muscle function in itself does not cause paralysis. It is more of a disruption in the communication process between the muscles and the brain that causes paralysis. So paralysis is actually some form of nerve damage. Depending upon the cause paralysis can affects a specific group of muscles or region of the body. Also Read - Brain disorders can be detected by use of graphene

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Statistics show 1 in 50 people globally have been diagnosed with some or the other kind of paralysis. Paralysis is mainly caused by the following conditions – Also Read - Paralysis or stroke: Can Ayurveda help in the rehabilitation of patients?

Stroke – Almost 30 percent of all paralyses are caused by stroke. Types of paralysis from stroke include –

Hemiplegia or one sided paralysis
Hemiparesis, that is, weakness or inability to move one side of the body
Spasticity, meaning, stiff or tight muscles
Dysphagia or trouble swallowing
Foot drop or inability to raise the front part of the foot

2. Spinal cord injury – It is the second largest cause of paralysis after stroke. Spinal cord injury may occur because of work place accidents, motor vehicle accidents, sports accident, falls, birth defects, being a victim of violence, natural disasters, and many other known and unknown causes.

3. 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.

4. Cerebral palsy – In simple words, cerebral palsy is brain paralysis. It is neurodegenerative disorder that occurs as a result of abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement. As the name suggests, paralysis is a characteristic symptom of the disorder.

5. 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 is a common symptom of the syndrome. The cause is unknown but experts opine that the syndrome can occur because of fatigue of overworked nerve cells or brain damage due to virus or combination of both and other factors.

6. Neurofibromatosis – It is genetic disorder that causes tumours to grow around the nerves. Paralysis may occur if the nerves are damaged. Usually the tumours are benign but they may turn malignant and cause cancer.

7. 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.

There are other causes too but mainly the above mentioned ones are the main causes.

Symptoms

What may look like obvious symptom of paralysis may actually not be paralysis. Numbness, weakness in muscles or muscle cramps may ‘feel’ like paralysis but it is actually not so. It’s only the complete loss of muscle function that is construed as paralysis. Paralysis may affect either one side of the body or both sides, upper limbs, or just the legs, sometimes the whole body is paralysed except for the eyes. Usually paralysis are occur along with some of the following symptoms –

Loss of consciousness (could be brief) or confusion
Clumsiness and numbness
Severe headache
Difficulty breathing
Drooling
Cognitive difficulties, difficulty writing or speaking
Changes in mood or behavior
Loss of bladder or bowel control
Loss or changes in vision and/ or hearing
Nausea with or without vomiting

Diagnosis

The first step in diagnosis of paralysis is physical exam by the doctor. Next the doctor will talk about the symptoms and family history. Diagnosing will not be difficult if the cause of paralysis is obvious, for example, paralysis after a stroke. If the cause is not obvious, then the physician will order specialized tests such as –

X-ray
CT scan (Computed tomography)
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans
Electromyography (usually used to diagnose Bell’s palsy)
If required the patient will then be referred to a neurologist.

Treatment and Recovery from paralysis

You may ask – are there chances of recovery from paralysis? The answer is – yes and no. Researchers and medical professional are confident 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 are usually aimed at restoring the brain-body connection.

For example, researchers at Southampton UK, with funding from the Stroke Association, have developed a wearable electronic device that helps recover arm function by delivering tiny electrical currents to the nerves thereby activating hand and arm muscles. This method is called Functional Electrical Stimulation or FES.

FES is already in use for recovery in lower legs and feet paralysis. In 2009, a study published in the journal Brain reported that electric pulse stimulation paired with assisted exercise program for 7 months enabled paraplegic subjects with zero-movement to regain a significant degree of leg control, allowing them to get up (stand) for some time without outside help.

New researches are looking for other ways to successfully treat paralysis. For example, neurology researchers at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine explored the possibility of replacing cells that were destroyed because of paralysis due to spinal injury. They could successfully restore functional motor units with embryonic stem cells in lab animals. Researchers around the world are now trying out this technique, called stem cell therapy, to restore lost motor function of spinal cord injury.

Studies found that recovery, partial or complete, was more difficult with advancing age. Older adults took much more time or even did not recover completely from paralysis because of other medical conditions including cardiac problems and diabetes. Although age did seem to be a factor in complete recovery or time taken to recovery in paralysis, especially spinal cord injury paralysis, the severity of the injury is the more significant predictor of recovery outcome.

If cure or recovery from paralysis is not possible, various mobility aids such as wheelchairs and orthoses are available for people with paralysis.

Seek treatment for associated symptoms such as bowel movement, neuropathic pain, and breathing difficulties.

Even if the paralysis is not cured, the quality of life of the patient can be improved greatly by managing paralysis wisely and consulting the doctor regularly.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of paralysis.

Reference:

http://www.stroke.org.uk/research/FES

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18820412

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21600746

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143416/

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Published : May 19, 2014 12:40 pm | Updated:May 22, 2014 10:58 am

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