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.
What is a paraplegic and a quadriplegic?
Paraplegia refers to the loss of movement and sensation in both legs and, sometimes, part of the lower abdomen. Quadriplegia affects all four limbs and, sometimes, parts of the chest, abdomen, and back. Both are forms of paralysis that often result from injury to the spinal cord.
What causes paraplegia?
Paraplegia happens when there is damage below the neck . The most common cause is trauma, such as from a sports injury or car accident. Other causes are: Stroke.
What does quadriplegia mean in medical terms?
Quadriplegia refers to paralysis from the neck down, including the trunk, legs and arms . The condition is typically caused by an injury to the spinal cord that contains the nerves that transmit messages of movement and sensation from the brain to parts of the body.
Can a paraplegic ever walk again?
Many factors play a role in regaining the ability to walk after a spinal cord injury. Fortunately, it is possible for many SCI survivors. There is potential to walk again after SCI because the spinal cord has the ability to reorganize itself and make adaptive changes called neuroplasticity.
Can paraplegics feel pain in their legs?
Paraplegics suffer from no longer feeling their legs again , but the condition is often accompanied by neuropathic pain due to the spinal cord lesion. The patient feels pain originating from the legs, even though nothing else can be felt below the lesion.
What is the life expectancy of a paraplegic?
Individuals aged 60 years at the time of injury have a life expectancy of approximately 7.7 years (patients with high tetraplegia), 9.9 years (patients with low tetraplegia), and 12.8 years (patients with paraplegia).
Can paraplegia be cured?
Paraplegia is generally the result of an injury, but it can also be caused by conditions that damage your spinal cord or brain. There is no cure for paraplegia , but treatment can help you manage your condition.
How serious is paraplegia?
Paraplegia severely affects mobility in the lower half of the body . It can be the result of a chronic condition or an accident that causes damage to the brain or spinal cord. People with paraplegia may experience complications over time, such as spasticity.
Is paraplegia a disorder?
Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a general term for a group of rare inherited disorders that cause weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles . Symptoms gradually get worse over time. It’s also known as familial spastic paraparesis or Strümpell-Lorrain syndrome.
Is quadriplegia a disability?
Due to the severity of quadriplegia, many individuals are permanently disabled . If you have been impacted by quadriplegia and are unable to work to your full capacity, there could be financial help available to you.
Has anyone ever recovered from a spinal cord injury?
In very rare cases, people with spinal cord injury will regain some functioning years after the injury. However, only a small fraction of individuals sustaining a spinal cord injury recover all function .
Can quadriplegics poop?
With a spinal cord injury, damage can occur to the nerves that allow a person to control bowel movements. If the spinal cord injury is above the T-12 level, the ability to feel when the rectum is full may be lost. The anal sphincter muscle remains tight, however, and bowel movements will occur on a reflex basis.
Can a paralyzed man still get erect?
The nerves that control a man’s ability to have a reflex erection are located in the sacral area (S2–S4) of the spinal cord. Most paralyzed men are able to have a reflex erection with physical stimulation unless the S2–S4 pathway is damaged . Spasticity is known to interfere with sexual activity in some people with SCI.
Can a T6 paraplegic walk again?
Depending on the severity of the injury, T6 SCI patients can experience gait abnormalities ranging anywhere from a slowed pace to the inability to walk at all. As a result, T6 SCI patients may need to use a wheelchair, crutches, or a walker for mobility support.
Does a spinal cord injury shorten your life?
Life expectancy depends on the severity of the injury, where on the spine the injury occurs and age . Life expectancy after injury ranges from 1.5 years for a ventilator-dependent patient older than 60 to 52.6 years for a 20-year-old patient with preserved motor function.
