Paralysis (Print Version)

Also called: 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

Polio used to be a cause of paralysis, but polio no longer occurs in the U.S.

Specific Conditions

Alternating Hemiplegia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/alternatinghemiplegia/alternatinghemiplegia.htm
Familial Periodic Paralyses(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/periodic_paralysis/periodic_paralysis.htm
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hereditary_spastic_paraplegia/hereditary_spastic_paraplegia.htm
Locked-In Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/lockedinsyndrome/lockedinsyndrome.htm
Todd's Paralysis(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/toddsparalysis/toddsparalysis.htm

Related Issues

Bedsores (Pressure Sores)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/bedsores/DS00570/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Spasticity and Paralysis(National Stroke Association) - http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SPAST
Tick Paralysis(American Lyme Disease Foundation) - http://www.aldf.com/TickParalysis.shtml

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemiplegia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hemiplegia%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Paralysis(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Paralysis%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Paraplegia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Paraplegia%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Quadriplegia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Quadriplegia%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Spinal Cord Injuries(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Spinal+Cord+Injuries%22

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=hyperkalemicperiodicparalysis
Genetics Home Reference: Hypokalemic periodic paralysis(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=hypokalemicperiodicparalysis
Genetics Home Reference: Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=infantileonsetascendinghereditaryspasticparalysis
Genetics Home Reference: Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=juvenileprimarylateralsclerosis
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 2(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype2
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 3A(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype3a
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 4(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype4
Genetics Home Reference: Spastic paraplegia type 7(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spasticparaplegiatype7
Genetics Home Reference: Troyer syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=troyersyndrome

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: A preliminary study on the impact of pushrim-activated power-assist wheelchairs... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18806509&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Turning thought into action. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18784110&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Teaching NeuroImage: hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy syndrome: sequential MRI follow-up. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18779505&tool=MedlinePlus
Paralysis -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(paralysis[majr]+NOT+(vocal+cord+paralysis[mh]+OR+facial+paralysis[mh]))+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Medical Encyclopedia

Paralysis - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Paralysis

Directories

Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician(American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) - http://www.e-aapmr.org/imis/imisonline/findphys/find.cfm

Organizations

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/

Children

Hemiplegia in Children(Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association) - http://www.chasa.org/hemiplegia.htm
Hemiplegia: Daily Living(Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association) - http://www.chasa.org/living.htm

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Bell's Palsy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bellspalsy.html
Mobility Aids - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mobilityaids.html
Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/polioandpostpoliosyndrome.html
Spinal Cord Injuries - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spinalcordinjuries.html
Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Paralysis is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/