2. WHAT IS PARAPLEGIA?
• Paraplegia is caused by an injury of the
spine at a site below the neck, below
the first thoracic spinal nerve and
within the sacral lumbar regions. With
an injury in this region, sufferers
usually lose all feeling and movement in
their legs but have full control of
movement in their arms.
3. • paraplegia refers to substantial
impairment in functioning and movement,
not necessarily a permanent and total
paralysis.
• Rarely, people with paraplegia
spontaneously recover. This may be due to
brain or spinal cord functions that are not
yet understood, such as regeneration of
neurons.
4. • More typically, paraplegics are able to
regain some functioning with physical
therapy, which works to retrain the brain
and spinal cord to work around
limitations while strengthening muscles
and nerve connections.
5. What Causes Paraplegia?
• Spinal cord injuries are the most common
cause of paraplegia. These injuries impede the
brain's ability to send and receive signals
below the site of the injury.
6. • Some other causes include:
• Spinal cord infections
• Spinal cord lesions
• Brain tumors
• Brain infections
7. WHAT IS HEMIPLEGIA?
• Hemiplegia (also known as hemiparalysis)
is a condition caused by an injury to the
brain. Like a stroke, hemiplegia only
affects one side of the brain;
therefore, its effects are usually down
one side of the body.
8. • It is not always apparent that a person
may have hemiplegia, as it can
sometimes manifest in learning and
behavioural disabilities rather than in
paralysis.
9.
10. CAUSES OF HEMIPLEGIA
• Hemiplegia can be caused by trauma, an
infection (such as meningitis or
encephalitis), a systemic disorder (such
as leukaemia) or hypertension (high blood
pressure) in the heart. It is can also be
caused during childbirth. Approximately
one in 1,000 children in the UK are
diagnosed with hemiplegia.
11. • The condition is life-long but sufferers can
find better quality of life through therapy
and support such as physiotherapy and
occupational therapy.
