Common causes

Paralysis can be caused by both injury and disease, and it can come on suddenly or gradually over time. Some common causes of sudden-onset paralysis are:

• Spinal cord injury
• Head injury
• Trauma to the neck or back
• Stroke
• Transient ischemic attack (transient stroke whose symptoms are temporary)
• Blood vessel rupture in the brain
• Arterial blockage

The most common causes of the above injuries are auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, falls, violent crimes, and sports injuries.

Causes of gradual-onset paralysis include:

• Tumors
• Brain tumors
• Nerve compression
• Nerve entrapment
• Cerebral palsy
• Spina bifida
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Lou Gehrig’s disease (motor neuron disease)
• Polio
• Polyneuropathies (allergies, poisoning, drug reactions)
• Diabetes
• Sleep disorders
• Depersonalization disorders (feeling detached from body or mental processes)

Symptoms

There are several symptoms related to gradual-onset paralysis or partial paralysis. These include:

• Numbness
• Muscle weakness
• Tingling
• Pins-and-needle sensation
• Burning
• Pricking
• Collapse
• Partial paralysis

Paralysis can affect the whole body or smaller parts, such as the face, jaw, leg, arm, elbow, knee, foot, finger, or wrist. Paralysis generally takes one of two forms, spastic or flaccid. In spastic paralysis the muscles are tight, which can cause arms and legs to be in an abnormal position. Paralysis can also cause flaccid muscles, which hang limp and weak, and the body can look thin and wasted. Some gradual-onset forms of paralysis begin with flaccid muscles, which later become spastic.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause of the paralysis. In cases of injury the person is sometimes able to regain some or all control of muscles over time. The majority of stroke victims regain a part of their mobility. Degenerative diseases, however, tend to lead to worsening paralysis.

There is no known cure or treatment for paralysis, but there are treatments for various symptoms. Spastic symptoms are relieved through stress-release and relaxation techniques, and patients are advised to avoid certain positions that might worsen the symptoms. Physical therapy is used to prevent the muscle from wasting away and to strengthen muscles that aren’t paralyzed. Anti-spastic drugs can be taken orally or injected into the fluid around the spinal cord, though drugs are not always needed. When spastic muscles are placing limbs in extreme positions, surgery may be indicated. The newest treatment is Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), which involves electrical stimulation of paralyzed muscles.

The treatment of flaccid paralysis is similar. Attention is paid to positioning the body and physical therapy maintains the muscles. Splints or other mechanisms may be used to support joints. Drugs can sometimes be used to treat the underlying disease, and new surgical techniques involving nerve transplants are expanding rapidly.

If you or a loved one have suffered catastrophic injuries causing paralysis through no fault of your own, contact an experienced personal injury attorney right away. If you would like a free case evaluation, simply fill out our case evaluation form and an experienced personal injury lawyer will contact you for a no cost, no obligation consultation.