After a spinal cord injury, a persons sensory, motor and reflex messages are affected and may not be able to get past the damage in the spinal cord. It can be a result of an accident or a chronic condition. Paraplegia is defined as partial or complete paralysis of the lower half of the body trunk. For example, someone with incomplete paraplegia may have sensory. Monoplegia, paraplegia, and quadriplegia home state health. Paraplegia is the term used to describe the bodys loss of movement andor feeling as a result of damage or trauma to the nervous system. It may also include paralysis of the bladder and bowel. Offer starts on jan 8, 2020 and expires on sept 30, 2020.
Paraplegia is caused by damage to your spinal cord. The condition involves complete or partial paralysis of the legs andor the trunk of the body, but not the arms. Neurological examination confirms paraplegia, the clinical signs depending on the level and the extent of the lesion. Your symptoms may depend on the location and severity of your spinal cord injury. Paralysis management and treatment cleveland clinic. Paraplegia definition and meaning collins english dictionary. If you have problems viewing pdf files, download the. Pubmed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss spastic paraplegia 7. Paraplegia in children pdf this is a pdf only article. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 944k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. The goal of rehab is to help you learn to take care of yourself as much as possible.
When both legs and arms are affected, the condition is called quadriplegia. Using the sacral sparing definition, an incomplete injury demonstrates voluntary motor control of the external anal sphincter andor sensation at the. Paraplegia definition of paraplegia by merriamwebster. Paraplegia simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord. For example, if the somatic nerves to a skeletal muscle are severed, then the muscle will exhibit flaccid paralysis. Paraplegic definition of paraplegic by medical dictionary. It spares the upper limbs but, depending on the level, may involve the trunk, pelvic organs, or lower limbs. At the end of your monthly term, you will be automatically renewed at the promotional monthly subscription rate until the end of the promo period, unless you elect to. In certain cases, some or all muscle control and feeling returns on its own or after treatment of the cause for the paralysis. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Information and translations of paraplegia in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.
The paraplegia may be accompanied by low grade features of active systemic tb including fever, sweating and weight loss but this is not common. Paraplegia spastic flaccid paraplegia in extension paraplegia in flexion 4. Tetraplegia sometimes referred to as quadriplegia is a term used to describe the inability to voluntarily move the upper and lower parts of the body. One of the most important causes of paraplegia among infectious causes is bacterial. Most people with paraplegia have perfectly healthy legs. It might also occur to some extent with treatment after a. In patients who suffer from paralysis of the entire body, including arms, the condition is called quadriplegia.
Paraplegia is predominantly the result of a spinal cord injury due to an accident or. Paraplegia and quadriplegia are caused by an injury or disease that damages the spinal cord, and consequently always affects both sides of the body. Detection of serum antibodies is currently the most practical means. Paraplegia may be caused by injury to or disease of the lower spinal cord or peripheral nerves or by such brain disorders as cerebral palsy. Flaccid paralysis is a neurological condition characterized by weakness or paralysis and reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause e. Paralysis of both the arms and legs has been traditionally been called quadriplegia. Paraplegia definition of paraplegia by the free dictionary. Paraplegia often involves loss of sensation of pain, temperature, vibration, and position as well as loss of motion.
It is paralysis or weakness of both lowerlimbs due to bilateral pyramidal tract lesion, most commonly in the spinal cord spinal paraplegia, and less commonly in the brain stem or the cerebral parasagittal region cerebral paraplegia. Paraplegia refers to paralysis from approximately the waist down paraplegic facts and definition quadriplegia refers to paralysis from approximately the shoulders down. It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural brain elements of the spinal canal. Acute paraplegia weakness or paralysis in the legs is a particular emergency because. It sometimes happens to people because they get a disease superior paraplegia is a type of paraplegia where people cannot use their arms and the top of their body a person who has paraplegia is sometimes called a paraplegic. Paraplegia, paralysis of the legs and lower part of the body. Paraplegia is impairment in motor and or sensory functions of the lower extremities often including lower part of the trunk. This abnormal condition may be caused by disease or by trauma affecting the nerves associated with the involved muscles. Quadriplegia types of paralysis brain and spinal cord. For example, spontaneous recovery often occurs in cases of bells palsy, a temporary paralysis of the face. Paraplegic definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Paraplegia is a medical condition where a person experiences loss of movement andor loss of feeling in the body. The lower thoracic and the lumbar spine are the most common sites affected. When the spinal cord is damaged, you lose feeling and movement.
Hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp is a group of hereditary, degenerative, neurological disorders that primarily affect the upper motor neurons. Paraplegia definition of paraplegia by medical dictionary. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic. Paraplegia article about paraplegia by the free dictionary. Paraplegia definition is partial or complete paralysis of the lower half of the body with involvement of both legs that is usually due to injury or disease of the spinal cord in the thoracic or lumbar region. Total paralysis on one side of the body hemiparesis. Paraplegia refers to paralysis that occurs in the lower half of the body. The areas of impaired mobility usually include the fingers, hands, arms, chest, legs, feet and toes and may or may not include the head, neck, and. Paraplegia is defined as the impairment or loss of motor andor sensory function in the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral segments of the spinal cord. Basic facts spinal cord injury occurs when there is any damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication between the brain and the body.
Upper motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord deliver signals to the lower motor neurons, which in turn, carry messages to the muscles. The area of the spinal canal that is affected in paraplegia is either the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions. Paraplegia is the condition of being unable to move the lower half of your body. Paralysis of the lower part of the body, including the legs. Pdf acute flaccid paraplegia is a clinical occurrence with extreme importance. The first descriptions of spinal cord injuries, which include most interesting comments on. Paralysis is the inabilitywhether temporary or permanentto move a part of. The severity and location of the damage to the nervous system determines the extent of the. A 14yearold high school student is admitted to the pediatric neurology service because of the. Paraplegia can involve complete or partial paralysis of the legs andor the trunk. Paraplegia, sometimes called partial paralysis, is a form of paralysis in which function is substantially impeded from the waist down. Classical neurological examination nomenclature defines that paraplegia is the paralysis of the legs or the lower parts of the body. This usually occurs after an injury to the nervous system.
Paralysis comes in many forms, and the extent to which a person is immobilized may change over time as physical therapy, changes in health, and sheer luck alter the way the body responds to physical damage. Standard neurological classification of spinal cord injury pdf. Most spinal cord injuries result in loss of sensation and function below the level of injury, including loss of controlled function of the bladder and bowel quadriplegia. Instead, the problem resides in either the brain or the spinal cord, which cannot send or receive signals to the lower body due to an injury or disease. Hemiplegia definition of hemiplegia by merriamwebster. Hereditary spastic paraplegia genetic and rare diseases. Minor paralysis flattened nasolabial fold, asymmetry on smiling. Paraplegia definition, paralysis of both lower limbs due to spinal disease or injury. Paraplegia, sometimes called partial paralysis, is a form of paralysis in which. Quad comes from the latin for four and plegia comes from the greek for the inability to move. Sometimes, they are kept alive by a lifesupport machine. Spastic paraplegia is a form of paraplegia defined by spasticity of the affected. Recovery following complete paraplegia archives of physical. The first page of the pdf of this article appears below.
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