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SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF PARALYSIS

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What is Paralysis?

Paralysis is a loss of voluntary muscle function in parts of your body. It can affect any part of your body at any time in your life, you probably won’t feel pain in the affected areas. Paralysis can be permanent or temporary, localised to some part of your body or generalised, partial or complete.

Based on the location of the attack, paralysis can be divided into 4 types-

  •  Monoplegia, where one area is affected like one arm or leg.
  •  Hemiplegia, where one whole side of the body is affected (e.g both right arm and right leg)
  •  Paraplegia also called lower-body paralysis, affects both legs and sometimes the hips and organs in the lower abdomen.
  • Quadriplegia affects both arms and legs, and sometimes muscles in the trunk, the functions of internal organs, or both.

Symptoms

Symptoms of paralysis can vary depending on the type and cause of the disease. The most common paralysis symptom is the loss of muscle function in the affected part, accompanied by numbness or pain, muscle weakness, visible muscle loss, stiffness, involuntary spasms or twitches. If you feel any of these symptoms, please visit Prakriya Hospitals and consult with some of the best neurologists of Bangalore who will treat you immediately and effectively.

Causes

Paralysis is usually caused by damage to the brain, nerves or spinal cord. This could be due to medical conditions or by accident. Medical conditions like Stroke, where the blood supply to your brain is reduced or interrupted preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients, and Multiple Sclerosis, where your immune system attacks the protective covering of nerves, are the two main medical causes of Paralysis.
Other causes include cerebral palsy, post-polio syndrome, traumatic brain injury, tumours in the brain or spine, infections like meningitis, encephalitis, and other neurological diseases. Certain species of tick are known to produce neurotoxins that cause acute paralysis of the human body.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing the loss of muscle function is often pretty obvious, but it is the paralysis of the internal body parts that is difficult to identify.

Your doctor may use a variety of solutions to diagnose paralysis-

  • X-Ray, CT-scan or MRI scans of the affected areas can reveal a lot about your condition to the doctor.
  • Myelography is used to test for spinal cord injury, where doctors insert a special dye into the nerves in your spinal cord to see them more clearly on X-rays.
  •  Electromyography is where doctors use sensors to measure electrical activity in your muscles.
    After ascertaining the type and the intensity of the paralysis your treatment can begin.

Treatment

Temporary paralysis may get resolved on its own, but for permanent paralysis, neurologists and the support staff can help you manage the symptoms well and lead a fruitful life. Depending on the type and severity of the disease your neurologist will prescribe the right treatment for you.

1. Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation
Physiotherapy helps restore function to the muscle by using exercise, movement and manual therapy. Even if it doesn’t fully cure, physiotherapy ensures the symptoms don’t worsen over time.

2. Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is a branch of therapy that focuses on helping patients achieve daily tasks such as changing clothes, cooking etc.

3. Mobility Aids
Electronic and mechanical devices can be used to help patients move like wheelchairs, braces, mobile scooters, etc. There are even wearable devices that send electrical signals to the affected muscles to restore function.

4. Medication
Medicines like botox and muscle relaxers can be used to relieve muscle pain.

5. Surgery
In particular cases, the doctor may advise you to amputate the affected part or even perform nerve transfer surgery.

6. Psychotherapy
Patients will also need immense support in order to cope with this critical condition.

Prakriya hospital constitutes a world-class Neurology department with a team of the best Neurologists in Bangalore, who will provide you holistic care with state-of-the-art facilities at an affordable cost.