If You Are Paralyzed From the Waist Down Can You Feel Pain

The Basics of Paraplegia

Paraplegia is virtually e'er the result of harm to the brain, spinal cord, or both. In most cases, spinal cord injuries to the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spinal cord are to blame. When these injuries occur, signals cannot travel to and from the lower regions of the body, and the body is prevented from sending signals back upward the spinal string to the encephalon.

Thus, paraplegics non but struggle with motility below the level of injury; they also experience extensive loss of awareness. This awareness loss varies from a feeling of tingling or reduced feeling below the level of injury to a consummate disability to feel annihilation below the level of injury.

Some injuries produce temporary paralysis in i or both legs. Even a cleaved leg tin can look like paraplegia in the right circumstances, as tin can the aftermath of a seizure, allergic reaction, and some surgical compilations. Consequently, doctors should not be quick to diagnose paraplegia immediately after an injury. Instead, it can have anywhere from a few hours to several days to diagnose this condition. Your doctor volition need to wait at your brain and/or spinal cord to meet if at that place are damaged nerves or tissue that impede the ability of signals to travel to and from the legs. Those tests might include:

• Blood tests to assess whether an infection, cancer, or other problem contributes to the paraplegia.
• A lumbar puncture to remove a small quantity of fluid from your spinal cord to appraise for infections, bleeding, sure cancers, or certain inflammatory conditions.
• CT scans or MRIs to come across your brain and spinal cord.
• Myelography X-rays to envision your spinal string and brain.

Types of Paraplegia

While paraplegia is typically characterized by the paralysis of the legs, at that place are different types of paraplegia where the symptoms can vary in severity. Some of types of paraplegia include:

Incomplete or Fractional Paraplegia (Paraparesis)

There may exist occasions where paraplegia does not fully affect both legs. For case, i leg may be fully paralyzed, while the other has limited or even normal office. This is sometimes known as "incomplete paraplegia," and can be the event of many different conditions.

In some cases, a case of complete paraplegia may develop into a case of fractional paraplegia post-obit rehabilitation therapy for paraplegia. On the other hand, a degenerative status may cause a case of incomplete paraplegia to go complete paraplegia every bit symptoms progress.

When some functionality remains in either leg, it may also be referred to equally paraparesis, though at that place is some debate as to whether it should be referred to as such.

Complete Paraplegia

This is when the paraplegic retains no feeling or function in their legs whatsoever. A complete paraplegic is unable to use both legs and may experience other issues, such equally a loss of bladder/bowel command.

This is mutual with complete spinal cord injuries in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine. Injuries to the cervical region of the spine are more than likely to crusade quadriplegia (paralysis of the arms and legs).

Consummate vs Incomplete Paraplegia

The main difference between complete and incomplete paraplegia is whether the paraplegic retains some (or nigh) of their ability to use or feel either leg. Where a complete paraplegic might non take any functionality or sensation in both legs, a example of incomplete paraplegia may leave the paraplegic with some sensation or motor control.

Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) defines hereditary spastic paraplegia (or HSP) as "a group of inherited disorders that are characterized by progressive weakness and spasticity (stiffness) of the legs."

Symptoms of hereditary spastic paraplegia include:

• Stiffness in the legs;
• Impaired vision from cataracts and optic nerve issues;
• Epilepsy;
• Lack of muscle coordination (clutter); and
• Cognitive impairment.

This is a variation of paraplegia that can exist inherited from a parent, so it is important to know if whatever family members have the condition. If there is a history of HSP in the family, then that is a definite risk factor for hereditary spastic paraplegia.

HSP is typically diagnosed via a neurological examination to rule out other conditions that may cause the same symptoms.

Quadriplegia Vs Paraplegia

Some people may get paraplegia and quadriplegia confused because the two terms are then similar. The major divergence between paraplegia vs quadriplegia is that:

• Paraplegia is a paralysis of the legs.
• Quadriplegia is the paralysis of the legs and arms.

Both conditions are typically the issue of injuries or diseases affecting the brain and spinal string. In the case of spinal string injuries, damage to the cervical spine (i.east. the cervix bones) is more likely to effect in quadriplegia than injuries lower down on the spine.

What Causes Paraplegia?

The overwhelming majority of paraplegics have perfectly healthy legs. The problem instead resides in the brain or spinal string. The spinal cord is akin to the body's relay system, sending signals down into the body from the encephalon and relaying signals from the body to the brain. The encephalon processes and makes sense of these signals, before sending important information nigh how to react and experience down the spinal cord and back to the body.

When either the brain or spinal cord practice not work properly, these signals may be weak or nonexistent. Consequently, spinal cord injuries (SCIs)—which touch more than 200,000 Americans, with more than than 2,500 new cases each year—are the leading cause of paralysis, including paraplegia . According to data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), the leading causes of spinal cord injuries include:

• Car and motorcycle accidents (38.3%)
• Falls (31.half-dozen%)
• Violence, the near mutual source of which is gunshot wounds (thirteen.8%)
• Sports and recreational activities, with diving accidents leading the way (8.2%)
• Medical or surgical injuries (4.6%)
• Other/unspecified (3.v%)

Well-nigh spinal cord and brain injuries are traumatic in nature, which ways they result from a sudden blow to the surface area, usually due to an accident. Some injuries, though, are non-traumatic, and usually attributable to diseases or genetic anomalies. A few other causes of paraplegia include:

• Strokes, the near mutual crusade of non-traumatic paraplegia.
• Genetic disorders, such as hereditary spastic paraplegia.
• Oxygen impecuniousness to the brain or spinal cord due to choking, childbirth complications, and other injuries.
• Autoimmune disorders.
• Infections of the brain or spinal string.
• Tumors, lesions, or cancer of the brain or spinal string.
• Spinal cord disorders such as syrinx.

Paraplegia Risk Factors

While paraplegia is unremarkably the result of a disease or adventitious injury (pregnant they tin happen to anyone), at that place are sure risk factors that increase your chances of becoming paraplegic. It should be noted that a chance gene is non a crusade of paraplegia, information technology is simply something that is common among paraplegics or may contribute to a paraplegia-causing injury or affliction.

Here is a shortlist of mutual paraplegia hazard factors:

Gender

According to the National Spinal String Injury Statistical Centre (NSCISC), "78% of new SCI cases are male." Since SCI is a common crusade of paraplegia, this makes men more likely to go paraplegic than women.

Age

NSCISC data shows that the average historic period of a person who suffers a spinal cord injury is now 43 (up from 29 a few decades ago). Senior citizens with osteoporosis and other conditions affecting bone health are too more probable to suffer a severe SCI during a autumn or other accident.

Occupation

Certain jobs and sports increase the likelihood of astringent impacts to the caput or spinal column—which tin can increase the risk of becoming paraplegic. Examples include Law enforcement, construction work, boxing, football, diving, and hockey.

Familial Health History

Certain inherited nerve diseases and other atmospheric condition tin can be contributing factors to brain and spinal injuries that increment the risk of developing paraplegia.

Paraplegia Symptoms and Signs

Paraplegia is a variable condition. The aforementioned person might experience symptoms that alter over time, or that fifty-fifty alter from one mean solar day to the next. Proper therapy can greatly affect the prognosis and improvement of the illness, merely many outcomes appear random. At that place is much we do not yet sympathize well-nigh the brain and spinal cord, so doctors are not yet sure why some people spontaneously recover while others languish without progress even with intense therapy.

In some cases, symptoms ameliorate equally swelling in the injured surface area dissipates. Treatment of infection and affliction-related processes may besides reduce or reverse symptoms, or irksome the improvement of paraplegia. Thus the best source for data on how paraplegia might affect your life is your physician. Know, however, that even the best doctors cannot be certain about the prognosis, and you should non allow even a grim prognosis to undermine your motivation to go on working toward recovery.

Some of the most mutual effects of paraplegia include:

• Loss of awareness below the site of the injury. College injuries will typically produce greater loss of sensation.
• Phantom sensations in the body, unexplained hurting, electrical sensations, or other intermittent feelings in the lower half of the trunk.
• A decrease in or loss of sexual function, libido, or fertility.
• Difficulty with bladder and bowel function.
• Loss of mobility beneath the level of injury.
• Changes in mood; depression is mutual among people with a new paraplegia diagnosis.
• Weight proceeds, particularly if your caloric intake is not adjusted to account for your reduced activeness level.
• Secondary infections in the lower one-half of the body, particularly bedsores and pare problems.
• Secondary problems at the site of the injury, such as infections or lesions.
• Autonomic dysreflexia—rapid heartbeat, spikes in blood pressure, and other changes in autonomic role related to spinal nerve damage or traumatic brain injury.
• Chronic hurting.
  

Diagnosis for Paraplegia

To accurately diagnose the blazon of paraplegia a person is experiencing and its cause, a physician will typically perform an in-depth exam. These examinations are necessary to place the best paraplegia therapy and practise regimen for the patient to increase their life expectancy and promote wellness.

Diagnosing paraplegia may involve:

• Extensive medical imaging (x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc.);
• Neurological examinations (to check for neurological abnormalities affecting leg function);
• Electromyography (to test response to muscle stimuli); and
• Family health history (to check for hereditary factors that may contribute to the paraplegia/paraparesis).

One time the diagnosis is consummate, a doctor may brainstorm recommending a paraplegia practise regimen and therapy schedule to help the patient cope with paraplegia.

Living with Paraplegia

Paraplegia is a life-altering status for many—whether they were born with a hereditary condition that acquired a slow modify or suffered a sudden affliction or accident that caused paraplegia.

Learning how to live with paraplegia is important for the paraplegic and for those around them. When a loved one loses function in their legs, it requires anybody they know to conform.

Complications of Paraplegia

There are many medical complications that paraplegia can cause beyond removing the ability to walk. Not being able to stand upwardly and move tin crusade a variety of additional weather that can range from existence mildly inconvenient and/or painful to being potentially life-threatening.

Here are some of the common medical complications that tin can arise from paraplegia:

Pressure Sores

The inability to motion can cause sores to develop on the legs or buttocks. To prevent this, information technology is important to engage in paraplegia exercises and to adjust positions regularly if possible.

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary retention is a common side effect of paraplegia since the link between the brain and the nerves controlling the bowels and bladder is damaged. This can also lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs) as leaner may sit down in the urinary tract and infect the bladder. Antibiotics tin can help clear UTIs, while indwelling catheters or intermittently using a catheter to drain the urine can assist prevent urine retention.

Chronic Depression

Living with paraplegia tin exist extremely difficult. It is common for paraplegics to become extremely depressed following a paraplegia-causing injury or illness. Information technology is important for paraplegics to observe support—both from loved ones and from support groups.

Circulatory Disorders

Another mutual side effect of not existence able to move freely is the evolution of circulatory disorders. Engaging in practice or finding an occupational therapy specialist tin can help.

Paraplegia and Sex activity

A loss of function and feeling in the sexual organs is extremely common among paraplegics. Many people presume that paralysis eliminates the possibility of sexual activity. Nevertheless, existence paralyzed from below the level of injury does non have to exist the cease of your sexual activity life.

For men, information technology may nevertheless be possible to achieve erections using "reflex triggers" (contact-based stimuli to erogenous zones—like the phallus—on the male body). Reflex triggers using penile vibrators can help paralyzed men achieve an erection and even ejaculation in some cases —although some may not exist able to if the sacral spinal nerves themselves are damaged.

For women, a loss of awareness in the vagina can brand information technology difficult to attain lubrication and orgasm. Tiffiny Carlson, an SCI survivor who has guest blogged for spinalcord.com, noted the importance of experimenting to find alternative erogenous zones to stimulate pleasure from sexual intercourse. It tin also assist to utilize "bedroom aids" such every bit lube to heighten intercourse.

For both men and women, finding alternatives to standard intercourse (such equally engaging in more extended foreplay) can help couples maintain an agile and healthy sex life after paraplegia.

Paraplegia Cures and Recovery

Many people with paraplegia look for a miracle "paraplegia cure" to alleviate their status. While in that location is no known cure for paraplegia in all its forms, there are things that people can exercise to speed their recovery and even potentially restore some of their legs' functionality.

Paraplegia recovery tin can exist a long and difficult process as paraplegics learn to cope with their paraplegia symptoms. In that location are numerous steps to recovering from paraplegia—steps that may change depending on the cause and severity of the status.

Some basic steps to paraplegia recovery include:

1. Seeking Firsthand Medical Attention later on an Injury. Timely intendance following a major TBI or SCI tin have an enormous impact on the severity of symptoms and even the likelihood of survival. High-quality therapy and care tin aid foreclose the exacerbation of injuries, which helps to limit the severity of paraplegia symptoms (such equally keeping a instance of incomplete paraplegia from becoming complete paraplegia).
2. Investigating Your Paraplegia Recovery Options. From surgical procedures to rehabilitation therapy and dietary changes, it is important to investigate all of your potential avenues of recovery. While a perfect paraplegia therapy does non exist (still), many of these recovery options can help to convalesce the side furnishings of paraplegia and help ameliorate the quality of life for paraplegics.
3. Trying to Locate Paraplegia/Paralysis/SCI Back up Groups. There are numerous back up groups for paraplegics and others who live with some class of paralysis (and their loved ones). Many of these groups can assist provide a place to find practiced communication and support. Additionally, they may be able to point paraplegics and their loved ones towards other resources, such as financial assistance programs that can help comprehend the cost of medical treatment, home modifications, and physical therapy.
4. Making Modifications to Arrange Mobility Limitations. Office of recovering from any condition that limits mobility is making modifications to the home that increase accessibility. For paraplegics who may be restricted to a wheelchair, this may involve installing workarounds for steps (such as ramps or wheelchair lifts), redesigning spaces with appliances so they are easier to reach or move around in, and widening doorways to make it easier to push a wheelchair or other mobility aid through.
5. Considering Psychological Therapy. Many people, paraplegics included, underestimate the psychological effects that a loss of mobility can impose. For paraplegics, it can be crucial to seek out a specialist in psychological therapy—peculiarly when the paraplegia is caused by a traumatic brain injury. Those who know a paraplegic may desire to aid them look for a qualified therapist as well. Information technology is all too easy to miss the signs of psychological distress that pb to low or worse.

As noted earlier, some (or all) of these steps may modify. For any paraplegia recovery programme, information technology is important to consult a qualified physician before starting any therapy regimen.

Paraplegia Therapies

Every patient is different, and therapy that works well for you might non work for some other person. By and large speaking, intensive therapy gives you the best chance at recovery, especially when y'all brainstorm receiving therapy immediately afterward the injury. Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems offer comprehensive and highly rated therapy, then if such a facility is near you lot, consider moving your recovery to that location.

Some therapy options include:

• Surgery to address swelling at the site of the injury, remove lesions, or remove embedded objects.
• Spinal cord alignment surgery.
• Secondary surgeries to accost other problems, such as muscle injuries resulting from your paraplegia.
• Medications to reduce your gamble of infection, blood clots, and other secondary issues.
• Physical therapy to assistance you lot regain as much function as possible by educational activity your brain and spinal cord how to work around the injury. Concrete therapy can also assist you lot slow the loss of musculus tone below the injury.
• Do therapy to help you remain in skilful concrete shape and reduce chronic pain (more on this later).
• Psychotherapy to help you prefer new coping skills for managing your injuries.
• Pedagogy well-nigh your injuries, advancement programs, and family support groups.
• Occupational training and therapy to assist you lot learn new skills, regain former ones and find new means to piece of work around your injuries.
• Alternative modalities; only utilise these with the consent of your dr., just some paraplegics have excellent luck with acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, and other holistic therapies.

Paraplegia Exercises

Concrete therapy can prove to exist an fantabulous tool for helping paraplegics amend their health and even assist alleviate some paraplegia symptoms. Some paraplegia exercises that paraplegics can do good from include:

Yoga

Many SCI survivors and paraplegics can benefit from the gentle stretching exercises involved in yoga activities, equally they help to stretch unused muscles and preclude cloudburst. Breathing exercises found in this detail type of paraplegia exercise can also help those who have difficulty breathing because of the side furnishings of a encephalon or spinal string injury.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting is an exercise for paraplegics that allows them to heavily work on their muscles, preventing atrophy while actively increasing physical strength and wellness. However, weightlifting for SCI survivors and paraplegics should exist conducted nether the watchful eye of a concrete therapist to avoid overworking muscles and causing further injury.

Water Aerobics

As odd equally it might sound, h2o aerobics can exist uncommonly benign every bit a paraplegia practise. The h2o helps back up the weight of the body while allowing paraplegics to get out of the chair and stretch limbs that are otherwise hard to exercise. Proper back up and supervision is a must for this type of physical rehabilitation exercise.

Seated Aerobics

In that location are a number of unlike aerobic exercises for people that tin can be done from inside of a chair. The benefit of this paraplegia exercise is that it can exist washed from near anywhere—making it piece of cake to engage in even without visiting a spinal cord injury rehabilitation middle.

Where Can I Find Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centers?

Some facilities specialize in providing spinal cord injury rehabilitation to help people who are paralyzed lead active and salubrious lives. These spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers are scattered throughout the country, so SCI survivors may need to ask their physician or a local SCI advocacy grouping to find a facility near them.

Those seeking astute inpatient rehab may want to begin by researching the Spinal String Injury (SCI) Model System, and the individual Model Arrangement Centers around the country.

1 instance of a spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre could be an activity-based therapy center. These facilities focus on providing therapeutic activities and exercises to assistance members of the SCI community improve their health and trunk part. You can discover a map of activity-based therapy centers here.

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Source: https://www.spinalcord.com/paraplegia

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