Paraplegia, also known as partial or complete paralysis, is a type of spinal injury that affects the motor and sensory nerve functions, impairing movement and sensation in the lower extremities.
Any sensation below the thoracic region of the body is lost and they are unable to move as a result of a vertebral injury or trauma that affects the brain and spinal cord’s capacity to send and receive messages from the brain to the various body parts that are controlled by the sensory, motor, and autonomic nerve functions.
Aside from accidents, other conditions that can result in paraplegia include spina bifida, genetic disorders, autoimmune diseases, strokes, lack of oxygen to the brain, cancerous growths in the brain or spinal column, alcoholism, and any congenital motor neuron disease.
TYPES
Partial Paraplegia:
Because none of the nerves in this situation stop working, the patient is still able to feel sensations and move their limbs to some extent.
Complete Paraplegia:
As a result of complete loss of sensitivity in the lower extremities brought on by the paralysis, there is no longer any movement or sensation possible.
Symptoms:
The body appears to be in a spinal shock state at first, which results in flaccid paralysis and loss of muscle stretching; other signs and symptoms of paraplegia depend on how severely the spinal column has been damaged.
- complete immobility and loss of feeling from the waist down
- coughing, sneezing, or breathing issues
- Having trouble controlling one’s bowel or bladder movements
- Lower-extremity stinging and excruciating pain
- loss of libido, altered sexual characteristics, and decreased fertility
- both depression and erratic moods
- Bedsores
- Loss of exercise leads to weight gain
Diagnosis and Treatment:
The doctor will typically recognize the patient’s complete medical history and perform a thorough physical examination before diagnosing paraplegia if there is any kind of loss of sensation following the accident or injury. The doctor may also perform the following tests, which include:
- X-ray taken to look for spine fractures.
- To determine how severe the injury or paralysis is, use a CT scan.
- MRI to check for any blood clots that could prevent the spinal fluid from flowing. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging.
- Complete Blood Count.
- Examining the nerve pathways leading to the affected area with the Evoked Potential Nerve Test.
- A lumbar puncture is performed to rule out the presence of any additional spinal infections.
In the early stages of the condition, medications and traction therapy can help with immobilization. The doctor also makes it a priority to prevent any underlying secondary issues like blood clots, pressure ulcers, bladder or bowel problems, respiratory infections, etc. Occasionally, he may also recommend hospitalization or surgical procedures to improve the condition.
Although there may not be a long-term cure for this condition, researchers have developed new and improved technologies over time to gradually restore movement in the case of chronic conditions, which can take four to six weeks.
Comments are closed.