What is paraplegia
Paraplegia is the medical term used when the patient cannot move or feel the legs, a situation that can be permanent and is usually caused by a spinal cord injury.
- In addition to not being able to move the legs.
- The paraplegic also does not control urine and intestines and.
- As a result.
- Often suffers urinary tract infections and constipation.
Paraplegia usually doesn’t heal, but when it’s caused by spinal cord compression or certain infectious or degenerative diseases, it can be cured.
In the case of medullary compression, surgery can be effective in decompressing the area, allowing the transmission of nerve impulses and in the case of diseases, when treated appropriately, paraplegia is reversed.
However, in most cases, paraplegia does not heal and physiotherapy is recommended to stimulate blood circulation, prevent pressure ulcers from forming, avoid contracting joints and facilitate transfers from the chair to the sofa and bed, for example.
Types of paraplegia can be
The neurologist indicates the type of paraplegia in the person after the appointment where he or she studies muscle strength and sensitivity, but imaging tests such as MRI and CT can show the severity of the spinal cord injury.
Paraplegia physiotherapy consists of exercises that improve blood circulation and prevent deformities that usually occur when muscles are not properly stimulated.
Physical therapist treatment should be guided by the physical therapist, depending on the patient’s needs; during rehabilitation, the patient can swim or other sport adapted to their reality, in order to improve self-esteem and increase physical and emotional well-being.Some general guidelines are:
Because they sit in the wheelchair for a long time, these patients may develop sores called sores or sores that, if not treated properly, can become infected.What you can do to reduce the risk of sores is to change position every 2 hours and place a special pillow in the wheelchair to facilitate blood flow there.
While paraplegia affects only the legs, quadriplegia, also called quadriplegia, is diagnosed when spinal cord injury compromises the movement of the 4 limbs, arms, and legs and trunk.Learn more about quadriplegia and how treatment is performed.
Paraplegia is caused by a severe injury to the spinal cord, which prevents nerve impulses from reaching the legs and feet. Some examples of situations that can damage the spinal cord are infectious diseases such as transverse myelitis, trauma such as traffic accidents, strokes, tumors, vertebral fractures, bomb or firearm injuries, extreme sports, and herniated discs.
These events can occur at any stage of life and, as a result, the person cannot walk, requiring a wheelchair.Emotionally, it is normal for a person to be shaken, but with rehabilitation you can regain well-being and quality of life can be improved again, but in most cases, paraplegia is irreversible and has no cure.