Paralisis

PARALYSIS


1.Concep Of Pharalysis

Paralysis
Also called: Hemiplegia, Palsy, Paraplegia, Quadriplegia
Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.
Most paralysis is due to strokes or injuries such as spinal cord injury or a broken neck. Other causes of paralysis include
• Nerve diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Autoimmune diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Bell's palsy, which affects muscles in the face
2.Causes of Paralysis:
What are the causes of paralysis?
As explained above, paralysis is caused by something being wrong with the nerves that activate muscles. Another word for nerve is neurone. The nerves that send the electrical messages, or impulses, to muscles to make them move or contract are called motor neurones. When we move a part of our body two types of motor neurone are involved in getting the relevant muscles to move: the upper and lower neurones. The upper motor neurone conveys the impulse from the brain to lower down in the nervous system where it connects with the lower motor neurone. The lower motor neurone then provides the final path for the signal to reach the muscle.

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Paralysis symptoms. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.
1. Some causes of sudden paralysis include:
a. Stroke
b. Transient ischemic attack
c. Head injury
d. Subarachnoid hemorrhage
e. Hysteria
f. Spinal cord injury
g. Arterial blockage
2. Some causes of slow-onset paralysis include:
a. Nerve compression
b. Nerve entrapment
c. Tumors
d. Brain tumor
e. Multiple sclerosis
f. Muscular dystrophy
g. Guillain-Barre syndrome
h. Vitamin B12 deficiency
i. Motor neurone disease
j. Poliomyelitis

3. Psychological disorders that may cause paralysis type symptoms include:
a. Parasomnias
b. Depersonalization disorders

4. Causes of specific types of paralysis depend on the location:
a. See facial paralysis

5. Other types of symptoms that may be similar to paralysis symptoms or imprecisely described as paralysis include:
a. Catatonic
b. Parasthesias
c. Tingling symptoms
d. Weakness
e. Muscle weakness

6. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
7. Bell's palsy
8. Brain abscess
9. Cerebrovascular accident
10. Conversion disorder
11. Encephalitis
12. Guillain-Barré syndrome
13. Head trauma
14. Myasthenia gravis
15. Parkinson's disease
16. Peripheral neuropathy
17. Rabies
18. Seizure disorders
19. Spinal cord tumors
20. Electroconvulsive therapy
3.Paralysis symptoms
Some of the possible common medical causes of Paralysis symptoms may include:
• Diabetes mellitus
• Chronic nerve root compression
• Radiculopathy
• Spinal arthritis
• Disc diseases
• Hypothyroidism
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Trauma
• Crush injuries
• Heavy metals
• Arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Polyarteritis nodosa
• Sjogren's syndrome
• Lead poisoning
• Mercury poisoning
• Chemotherapy
• Antibioticsmalignan


Functional Electrical Stimulation

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) applies small electrical pulses to paralyzed muscles to restore or improve their function. FES is commonly used for exercise, but also to assist with breathing, grasping, transferring, standing and walking. FES can help some to improve bladder and bowel function. There's evidence that FES helps reduce the frequency of pressure sores.
Bladder or bowel FES:
Sacral stimulators are surgically implanted FES systems for on-demand control of the paralyzed bladder and bowel; these have been implanted in more than 1,500 paralyzed people, mostly in Europe. The stimulator, called the Finetech-Brindley device, has a strong track record for improving bladder and bowel control in the vast majority of users.
In 1999 a company called NeuroControl licensed the Brindley system and got FDA approval as the Vocare system. A company called NDI Medical more recently obtained the marketing rights to Vocare in the United States. See www.ndimedical.com.
Upper extremity:
About 15 years ago the FDA also approved an FES implant system to restores some hand and arm function to quads. The FreeHand system was well liked by the quads who used it; they gained significant function in grip, writing, eating, computer work, etc. Alas, NeuroControl dropped this from the market.
Walking:
There is a commercially available device called Parastep that is FDA approved for some paraplegics (T4 to T12 ) for "ambulation." Parastep, which has been approved by Medicare for reimbursement, facilitates gait by firing leg muscles; a front-wheeled walker fitted with a control pad is used. Contact www.sigmedics.com.
The future:
Brain-wave communication, it's the next big leap in neuroprosthetics and it's nearly here: in clinical trials, people area already controlling computer cursors and opening email with just their thoughts. Monkeys can precisely move robotic arms using only brain waves.
BrainGate is an investigational brain implant system from a biotech company called Cyberkinetics that places a computer chip into the brain; this monitors brain activity and converts the intention of the user into computer commands. The company is currently recruiting people with spinal cord injury, stroke or muscular dystrophy conditions for pilot clinical trials in Boston, Chicago and Rhode Island. Call the company for more:
Secondary Conditions
Basic Conditions
Find out about the resources available on the various aspects of paralysis that are common to many conditions.
Autonomic Dysreflexia
Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a potentially life threatening condition that can be considered a medical emergency. It mainly affects people with injuries at T-5 or higher.
AD requires quick and correct action. Serious AD can lead to a stroke. Because many health professionals are not familiar with this condition it is important for people who are at risk for AD,
The signs of AD include:
* High blood pressure
* Pounding headache, flushed face
* Sweating above level of spinal injury
* Nasal stuffiness, nausea
* Slow pulse, lower than 60 beats per minute
* Goose flesh below level of spinal injury
Bladder Management
Paralysis at any level almost always affects bladder and bowel function. This is because the nerves controlling these internal organs are attached to the very base of the spinal cord (levels S2–4) and are therefore cut off from brain input.
Although it may not be possible to regain the same control one had before paralysis, a wide range of techniques and tools are available to manage bladder and bowel function.
Bowel Care
Paralysis often damages the nerves that control the bowel. If the injury is above the T-12 level, the ability to sense a full rectum may be lost. The anal sphincter remains tight, however, so bowel movements will occur on a reflex basis. This means that when the rectum is full, the defecation reflex will occur. This is called an upper motor neuron or reflex bowel. It is managed by triggering the defecation reflex at socially appropriate times an
Depression
Found two or three times more often among people who are paralyzed than among the nondisabled – it is common but not normal. d places.
Respiratory Health
Lungs are not affected by paralysis. However, the muscles of the chest, abdomen, and diaphragm can be affected. As the various breathing muscles contract, they allow the lungs to expand, which changes the pressure inside the chest so that air rushes into the lungs. This is inhaling – which requires muscle strength. As those same muscles relax, the air flows back out of your lungs, and you exhale.
If paralysis occurs at the C-3 level or higher, the phrenic nerve is no longer stimulated and therefore the diaphragm does not function. This means mechanical assistance -- usually a ventilator – will be needed to breathe.



Upper
ExGot arm, shoulder or wrist pain? If you're pushing a wheelchair, you are not alone. About half of those with spinal cord injury eventually experience upper extremity pain. It doesn't have to be so… with knowledge, the right equipment, exercise and care you can preserve arms and shoulders for the long-term, and avoid pain. tremity Care
5.Paralysis interventions
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If paralysis has developed suddenly, suspect trauma or an acute vascular insult. After ensuring that the patient’s spine is properly immobilized, quickly determine his level of consciousness (LOC) and take his vital signs. Elevated systolic blood pressure, widening pulse pressure, and bradycardia may signal increasing intracranial pressure (ICP). If possible, elevate the patient’s head 30 degrees to decrease ICP, and attempt to keep his head straight and facing forward.
Evaluate the patient’s respiratory status, and be prepared to administer oxygen, insert an artificial airway, or provide intubation and mechanical ventilation, as needed. To help determine the nature of the patient’s injury, ask him for an account of the precipitating events. If he can’t respond, try to find an eyewitness.


6.Treatments for Paralysis
1.Pottasium
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Paralysis includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
• Potassium - possibly used for related potassium deficiency


2.Facial Paralysis: Treatment
(In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms)
• Treat underlying cause, if identified
–E.g., tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma, resection or chemoradiation for malignancy
• Psychological counseling when studies indicate expected poor prognosis:
• Eye care
–Prevent exposure and drying of eye: Artificial tears, lubricating ointment, and moisture chamber at night
–Ophthalmologic exam to rule out exposure keratitis
–Surgical correction: Tarsorrhaphy, upper lid gold weight or spring placement
• Pharmacologic
–Steroids: Recommended, but exact benefit unclear
–Acyclovir: Suspected viral etiology of Bell palsy
• Surgery
–Facial nerve decompression
–Facial reanimation procedures (nerve and/or muscle grafting and/or transpositions)


3.Bells Palsy Treatment
Symptoms of Bells palsy can occur in many different forms, from excessive tearing or dryness of the eyes, drooping eyelids and corners of the mouth, or facial ticks, to weakness and even total paralysis of one or, rarely, both sides of the face. Bells palsy treatment at the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction can effectively address these problems and restore normal function to your face.
here is no cure or standard course of treatment for Bell's palsy. The most important factor in treatment is to eliminate the source of the nerve damage. Some cases are mild and do not require treatment since the symptoms usually subside on their own within 2 weeks. For others, treatment may include medications such as acyclovir -- used to fight viral infections -- combined with an anti-inflammatory drug such as the steroid prednisone -- used to reduce inflammation and swelling. Analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen may relieve pain, but because of possible drug interactions, patients should always talk to their doctors before taking any over-the-counter medicines.

Physical therapy to stimulate the facial nerve and help maintain muscle tone may be beneficial to some. Facial massage and exercises may help prevent permanent contractures (shrinkage or shortening of muscles) of the paralyzed muscles before recovery takes place. Moist heat applied to the affected side of the face may help reduce pain.

• Other therapies
Other therapies that may be useful for some individuals include relaxation techniques, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, biofeedback training, and vitamin therapy (including vitamin B12, B6, and zinc), which may help nerve growth.

Prevention of Paralysis:
• Reguler Exercise
• Avoid stress