Paraplegia: symptoms, causes, treatment, etc. & bull; hello healthy

Definition

What is paraplegia?

Paraplegia is a term used to describe a loss of strength or movement due to an injury. The injuries that occur are generally located to the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis of the lower part of the body, especially the legs.

Paraplegia is a type of paralysis, which is paralysis or loss of muscle function that occurs in certain parts of the body. Overall, paralysis is divided into several types.

Apart from attacking the lower body, paralysis can attack the upper body. However, it is possible that all parts of the body can lose muscle function. This condition of complete paralysis is known as quadriplegia.

In paraplegia, the most commonly affected parts of the body are the legs, thighs, toes, soles of the feet, and sometimes the stomach. Depending on the degree of injury, the degree of paralysis can vary.

How common is paraplegia?

Paraplegia is a fairly common condition and can happen to anyone. However, the incidence of cases tends to be more common in patients aged 16-30 years, especially those who often do extreme activities or sports.

In addition, this condition is also easier to occur in older people, especially over 65 years. This is probably because the elderly have a more fragile spine and their balance has decreased, making them more prone to injury.

Paraplegia is a condition that can be treated by controlling the existing risk factors. To find out more information about this condition, you can consult a doctor.

Type

What are the types of paraplegia?

Paraplegia is a condition that can be divided into several types. Based on how much of the lower part of the body is affected, this condition can be divided into two, namely:

1. Generalized paraplegia (complete)

This type occurs when the patient is unable to move at all or does not feel any sensation in both the legs and the lower part of the body.

2. Partial paraplegia (incomplete)

If you can still partially move your lower body, or if your lower body still feels certain sensations, it means you have suffered a partial injury.

There are also several other types of paraplegia, namely:

• Permanent: the control muscles under the body can not function forever
• Meanwhile: lower body muscle control can return to function
• Flaxid: when muscles become limp and contract
• Spastic: when the muscles are tight and tight

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of paraplegia?

The signs and symptoms of this condition can vary from person to person. Generally, the patient's ability to control the lower body depends on two factors, namely the location of the injury to the spinal cord and its severity.

Common symptoms of paraplegia are:

• Losing the ability to move
• Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel hot, cold, and touch
• Losing control to urinate
• Losing control over bowel movements
• Loss of motor function
• Excessive reflex activity or seizures
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility
• Pain or stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve fibers in the spine
• Difficulty breathing, coughing, or clearing secretions from the lungs
• Skin problems

Depending on the severity, this condition can be classified as generalized or partial paraplegia.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

You should contact your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Losing control over urinating or defecating
• Disturbance with balance and walking
• Respiratory problems after injury
• Neck or back in an odd position or bent

Spinal cord injury or trauma may not be obvious, if you suspect someone has a spinal cord injury, do not try to move the person and contact a medical service provider immediately.

Each sufferer's body shows signs and symptoms that vary. To get the most appropriate treatment and in accordance with your health condition, always consult a doctor or the nearest health service center.

Cause

What causes paraplegia?

Paraplegia is a condition that generally results from injury to the spinal cord, spine, ligaments, or discs (disk) on the vertebrae.

This condition usually results from a traumatic injury due to a sudden, firm blow to the spine. As a result, the spine can fracture, dislocate (shift), rupture, or put pressure on a nerve.

Apart from traumatic events, injuries can also be caused by arthritis, cancer, inflammation (inflammation), infection, or degeneration of the spinal discs. It may take a long time for the spinal cord injury to heal, especially if there is bleeding, swelling, inflammation and fluid accumulation in the spine.

The human central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. Spinal nerves, which are made of soft tissues that are surrounded by the spine, grow extending from the base of your brain.

The lower part or end of the spinal cord is located above your waist, which is called the conus medullaris. Below this section, there is a group of nerve roots called the cauda equina.

When a traumatic or non-traumatic condition occurs in that area, the nerve fibers can be damaged, causing problems in the lower muscles of the body.

The main causes of spinal cord injury include:

• Accident
• Fell
• Violence
• Extreme sports
• Injuries from motor vehicle accidents
• Diseases, such as cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, and spinal cord inflammation

Risk factors

What increases my risk for paraplegia?

Paraplegia is a condition that can occur in almost anyone, regardless of age group and racial group. However, there are several factors that can increase a person's risk for developing this condition.

It is important for you to know that having one or more risk factors does not mean you will definitely be exposed to a disease or health condition. In some cases, it is possible for a person to experience certain health conditions without any risk factors.

Risk factors that can trigger paraplegia are:

1. Age

The incidence of this condition is more common in patients aged 16-30 years. In addition, people aged over 65 years are also more susceptible to this condition due to decreased body balance, or degenerated spine conditions.

2. Gender

This condition is more common in male patients than female patients. If you are male, your risk for developing this condition is higher.

3. Doing strenuous or risky activities

People who do high-risk activities, such as extreme sports, motor racing, cars, diving, paragliding, and so on are more prone to accidents such as falls and injuries. This has the potential to cause the lower body to experience paralysis.

4. Having bone or joint disorders

If you have a bone or joint disorder, such as arthritis or osteoporosis, this condition makes your bone structure more brittle than the average person.

Complications

What are the complications caused by paraplegia?

Paraplegia is a condition that can lead to other health problems if not treated immediately. Various health problems that can arise are:

• Chronic urinary tract infection
• Kidney stones
• Muscle spasms
• Pain when sitting for too long in the same position
• Extreme changes in body temperature

In a more severe degree of bodily injury, the sufferer may also experience hyperreflexia, which is also known as automomic autonomic dysreflexia.

This condition can be triggered by several factors, such as swelling of the bladder, intestines, or overall pain. The symptoms of this condition include an increase in body temperature, excessive sweating, increased blood pressure, headache, decreased pulse rate, and blackout.

Diagnosis & treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is paraplegia diagnosed?

Paraplegia requires an emergency, where the doctor will closely examine the sensory function and movement of the legs. The doctor will ask about the trauma that caused the paraplegia to identify the extent of the injury. In most cases, the doctor will perform several tests to confirm the diagnosis and check for damage to the spinal cord, such as:

• X-ray. This is usually the first test that a doctor performs. X-rays can show problems with the spine, tumors, severe or degenerative changes in the spine.
• CT scan. If the injury is more complex as shown by the X-ray, a CT scan can show the bone problem in more detail.
• MRI. This test is very helpful for doctors to see the spinal cord and see which discs are herniated, blood clots, or other things that may be pressing on the spinal cord.

After the spinal cord swelling has reduced, the doctor will perform a neurological exam to see how the muscles and bones react to the stimulant.

How to treat paraplegia?

Treatment for paraplegia will focus on restoring spinal cord function as much as possible.

Since paraplegia is such an emergency, treatment is started as soon as you get to the hospital.

In the emergency room, the doctor will focus on the symptoms of your vital organs, such as the ability to breathe, preventing shock and immobilization of the spinal cord from the neck to the back.

Long-term care will focus on managing symptoms and preventing complications, such as:

1. Rehabilitation

The medical team will assist you in the rehabilitation process during the recovery period.

In the early stages of rehabilitation, your therapist will focus on restoring muscle strength and function, developing the motor skills of the body, and learning certain techniques so that the body can re-adapt to everyday activities.

2. Medicines

The administration of certain drugs can also help control the symptoms of a spinal cord injury.

The drugs given are generally aimed at reducing pain, muscle spasms, and improving bowel control.

3. Use of tools

Some medical aids can also be used to make your movement easier. These devices can be a special wheelchair, or a computer equipped with voice identification technology.

Clinical trials are also available for people with paraplegia. Usually recovery occurs within the first 6 months.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat paraplegia?

Here are lifestyle and home remedies that can help you deal with paraplegia:

1. Join the paraplegic community

There are a lot of support group or communities with this condition or other types of paralysis. These communities can be a place for patients to share experiences, grievances, and advice and support from fellow patients.

In addition, by joining this community, patients can also share education and information about this disease with the people around them, so that awareness about paraplegia can be increased.

2. Underwent psychological therapy

Many patients do not even realize the psychological effects that are felt when experiencing a condition of decreased body mobility. Therefore, it is important for patients to seek psychologists who are experts in dealing with these problems, especially those related to injury or trauma to the brain.

The existence of a psychologist can help patients accept the condition they are experiencing, struggle with illness, and prevent patients from the risk of experiencing depression.

3. Learn to adapt

Patients who have decreased ability to move, even complete paralysis of the lower body, need to get used to their daily activities. There will be many aspects of a patient's life that will change.

One way to help adapt is by adjusting the layout of furniture in the house, or modifying household equipment, so that patients can more easily carry out daily activities.

4. Physical therapy or exercise

You can also try some types of physical therapy or exercise that can help with paraplegia symptoms. Here are the types of physical exercise you can try:

• Yoga

Many patients with spinal cord injuries, especially paraplegia, benefit from yoga exercises. In yoga, stretching movements can actually prevent atrophy in muscles that are not used for movement.

In addition, breathing techniques in yoga can also help sufferers who have difficulty breathing due to the side effects of spinal cord injury.

• Weightlifting

Lifting weights is a physical exercise that can help train the patient's muscles, prevent muscle atrophy, and improve overall strength and health.

However, the patient must lift weights under the supervision of an expert or therapist to prevent further injury.

• Water aerobics

Water helps support the weight of the body when performing movements that require the patient to stand and stretch their arms or legs. Similar to lifting weights, this type of physical exercise should also be done under the supervision of a physical therapist.

• Aerobics sitting

Apart from water aerobics, patients can also try aerobics which is done sitting in a chair. One of the conveniences that this physical exercise offers is that it can be done almost anywhere.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.