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There are various forms of Paralysis. Paralysis of the lower limbs is one of the most severe forms of Paralysis. It is also known as Paraplegia. People suffering from such Paralysis lose all sense below the waist. They cannot move their legs or hips, cannot void without help, and cannot have intercourse. They barely feel anything below their waist. However, the degree of inability may vary from one person to another.

In people suffering from such Paralysis, there is usually substantial impairment in movement. Though such inability is not necessarily permanent, rarely do people recover from such inability. Lower Limb Paralysis may put people at risk of deep Vein Thrombosis.

Causes of Lower Limbs Paralysis:

Paralysis of the lower limbs usually results from injury to the spinal cord or the brain. However, spinal cord injury is the most common cause of such Paralysis. Such injuries inhibit the ability of the brain to receive and send signals from lower limbs. Causes of such inability may include:

Infections in the spinal cord

Lesions of the spinal cord

Tumors in the brain

Infections in the brain

Nerve damage at the hip or waist.

Oxygen deprivation in the brain or spinal cord due to choking, violence, or surgical accidents.

Stroke

Congenital spinal cord deformities such as Spina Bifida etc.

However, the most common cause of Lower Limb Paralysis is congenital spinal deformity, such as Spina Bifida. The degree of Paralysis depends on the location of the spinal lesion and the extent of spinal cord or nerve damage. Some people with spinal lesions may even walk independently if the lesion is lower down the spine. However, people with upper spinal lesions are usually not able to do that. They may require ortho shoes as well as walking aids in order to ambulate. If these don t work, they may need wheelchairs for mobility. Usually these people learn to ambulate with the aid of ankle foot orthoses.

Treatment of Lower Limbs Paralysis:

There is no treatment for Paralysis. However, in some cases, people suffering from Lower Limb Paralysis are able to regain some of their ability with the help of physical therapy. What physiotherapy does is that it retains the spinal cord and the brain to strengthen nerve connections and muscles so that patients can work around their limitations. If paralysis is due to some underlying cause, removal of the cause can treat the patient.

If an infant is found to be suffering from Spina Bifida, doctors can operate on his spinal cord and bring down the severity of the problem. Such children are less likely than others to use walking devices.

Bowel and Bladder Management:

This is a serious aspect of Lower Limb Paralysis. Patients need to undergo routine bladder and bowel evaluation and device management plans to reduce the risk of organ damage.

Conclusion:

There is hardly any treatment for Lower Limb Paralysis. However, physical therapy may solve some of the problems. If it does not, management of bowel and bladder and watching out for deep Vein Thrombosis should be done on a regular basis.

One can also use alternative methods like Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage, and other holistic treatments. However, it is always recommended to consult an orthopedic doctor before opting for any methods.

Paralysis can be concluded as the state when the muscles lose functioning in any part of the body. Any kind of disruption in our nerve system can be responsible enough to cause paralysis. Our central nervous system and peripheral nervous system communicate and control our senses of movement. But interruption in nerve impulses can cause weakness in muscles which leads to muscle paralysis.

Symptoms
A paralysed patient will encounter symptoms like:

Decreasing the motor power
Decreasing vasomotor control
Loss of sensation
Decreasing bowel and bladder control
Losing the ability of sexual function.
When it comes to treating a paralysis patient, physiotherapy is proven to be the best remedy. Physiotherapy has thoroughly helped patients with paralysis in getting to feel confident and independent. Physiotherapy includes various exercises and techniques which are developed with time in order to provide a complete rehabilitation to the patients.

Types of paralysis:
There are mainly four types of paralysis

Monoplegia: when one limb gets paralysed
Hemiplegia: when arm and leg of a single side get paralysed
Paraplegia: when legs get paralysed
Quadriplegia: when both sides get paralysed
Treating paralysis with physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is advised to patients with any type of paralysis. It should be started soon in order to improve blood circulation in the muscles. It also helps in relaxing the stiff muscles. This treatment improves the overall health condition of the patient.
Physiotherapy is also responsible for reducing any kind of swelling which takes place due to external brain injury.
Physiotherapy is helpful in making the patient stable and independent.
It also helps in maintaining the blood pressure.
It helps to improve the respiratory system.
Physiotherapy maintains the affected muscles and nerves. It provides strength to the affected muscles and works to prevent the limbs from getting deformed.
One major symptom of paralysis is a loss of bladder and bowel function. Physiotherapy helps in managing the paralysed bowel and bladder.
Physiotherapy involves different techniques which can be learned from a physiotherapist in order to transfer a paralysed patient.
Othorsis, canes, braces, splints are the equipment that are advised to the patient by a professional physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy helps in resolving problems such as anxiety, anger, depression, denial which takes place after post-paralysis mental trauma.
Physiotherapist provides safeguarding tips to the patient and his or her family in order to avoid accidents.
Physiotherapy has a big role in creating the motivation in patient's mind.
These are the benefits of physiotherapy which help the paralyzed limbs getting stronger and better. But it is always advised to be done under a professional physiotherapist.

Paralysis can be concluded as the state when the muscles lose functioning in any part of the body. Any kind of disruption in our nerve system can be responsible enough to cause paralysis. Our central nervous system and peripheral nervous system communicate and control our senses of movement. But interruption in nerve impulses can cause weakness in muscles which leads to muscle paralysis.

Symptoms
A paralysed patient will encounter symptoms like:

Decreasing the motor power
Decreasing vasomotor control
Loss of sensation
Decreasing bowel and bladder control
Losing the ability of sexual function.
When it comes to treating a paralysis patient, physiotherapy is proven to be the best remedy. Physiotherapy has thoroughly helped patients with paralysis in getting to feel confident and independent. Physiotherapy includes various exercises and techniques which are developed with time in order to provide a complete rehabilitation to the patients.

Types of paralysis:
There are mainly four types of paralysis

Monoplegia: when one limb gets paralysed
Hemiplegia: when arm and leg of a single side get paralysed
Paraplegia: when legs get paralysed
Quadriplegia: when both sides get paralysed
Treating paralysis with physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is advised to patients with any type of paralysis. It should be started soon in order to improve blood circulation in the muscles. It also helps in relaxing the stiff muscles. This treatment improves the overall health condition of the patient.
Physiotherapy is also responsible for reducing any kind of swelling which takes place due to external brain injury.
Physiotherapy is helpful in making the patient stable and independent.
It also helps in maintaining the blood pressure.
It helps to improve the respiratory system.
Physiotherapy maintains the affected muscles and nerves. It provides strength to the affected muscles and works to prevent the limbs from getting deformed.
One major symptom of paralysis is a loss of bladder and bowel function. Physiotherapy helps in managing the paralysed bowel and bladder.
Physiotherapy involves different techniques which can be learnt from a physiotherapist in order to transfer a paralysed patient.
Othorsis, canes, braces, splints are the equipment that are advised to the patient by a professional physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy helps in resolving problems such as anxiety, anger, depression, denial which takes place after post-paralysis mental trauma.
Physiotherapist provides safeguarding tips to the patient and his or her family in order to avoid accidents.
Physiotherapy has a big role in creating the motivation in patient's mind.
These are the benefits of physiotherapy which help the paralyzed limbs getting stronger and better. But it is always advised to be done under a professional physiotherapist.

A spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord. It s an extremely serious type of physical trauma that s likely to have a lasting and significant impact on most aspects of daily life.

The spinal cord is responsible for sending messages from the brain to all parts of the body. It also sends messages from the body to the brain. We are able to perceive pain and move our limbs because of messages sent through the spinal cord.

If the spinal cord sustains an injury, some or all of these impulses may not be able to get through . The result is a complete or total loss of sensation and mobility below the injury. A spinal cord injury closer to the neck will typically cause paralysis throughout a larger part of the body than one in the lower back area.

Causes-

A spinal cord injury is often the result of an unpredictable accident or violent event. The following can all result in damage to the spinal cord:

a violent attack such as a stabbing or a gunshot
diving into water that s too shallow and hitting the bottom
trauma during a car accident (specifically trauma to the face, head and neck region, back, or chest area)
falling from a significant height
head or spinal injuries during sporting events
electrical accidents
severe twisting of the middle portion of the torso
Symptoms -

Some symptoms of a spinal cord injury include:

problems walking
loss of control of the bladder or bowels
inability to move the arms or legs
feelings of spreading numbness or tingling in the extremities
unconsciousness
headache
pain, pressure, stiffness in the back or neck area
signs of shock
unnatural positioning of the head
If you suspect that someone has a back or neck injury:

Don t move the injured person permanent paralysis and other serious complications may result
Keep the person still
Place heavy towels on both sides of the neck or hold the head and neck to prevent them from moving until emergency care arrives
Provide basic first aid, such as stopping any bleeding and making the person comfortable, without moving the head or neck
Treatment

Treatment should be focused upon that individual and tailored specifically to their condition. A treatment programme is formulated following a thorough physical assessment which might include:

Stretching activities to maintain muscle and tendon length and reduce or keep muscle spasms/spasticity to a minimum.
Flexibility and strengthening exercises for the whole body.
Breathing exercises to maximise lung function and prevent chest infection.
Balance and posture exercises which can help to reduce pain associated with poor posture and balance impairment and ensure correct transfer techniques (in/out of wheelchair, bed, toilet/bath, car etc.)
Functional activities to improve fundamental movement patterns such as rolling over and sitting up, and standing where appropriate.
Walking re-education, if there is sufficient muscle activity and power in the legs.
Your physiotherapist might also be able to advise an individual on use of appropriate equipment such as wheel-chairs and pressure releasing cushions, exercise equipment and electrical muscle stimulators.

Prevention

Because spinal cord injuries are often due to unpredictable events, the best you can do is reduce your risk.

Some risk-reducing measures include:

Always wearing a seatbelt while in a car
Wearing proper protective gear while playing sports
Never diving into water unless you ve examined it first to make sure it s deep enough and free of rocks

Physiotherapy and sleep paralysis have a deep connection when you have to treat sleep paralyses the intelligent way. To discover the benefits of physiotherapy in healing sleep paralysis, let's get a clear understanding of sleep paralyses first, and then the role of physiotherapy.

What is sleep paralysis and common causes?

Sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder. Its symptoms are that you suddenly feel in the middle of the night or in mid sleep that you can't move, react, talk, etc., and feel that your body has frozen. This immobility is accompanied with frightful or eerie visions or sounds, which are not the reality, and you still hallucinate.

This is often caused because of the following reasons, which are considered common causes of sleep paralysis:
- A medical condition called narcolepsy
- No fixed time of sleeping and waking thus creating imbalance in sleep patterns
- Inadequate sleep through the 24 hours
- Excessive stress and workload
- Alcohol consumption or drug abuse
- A bad diet like heavy meals at night before bedtime
- Extreme caffeine consumption


If any of these things are common, you may get a sleep paralysis.


Physiotherapy in healing sleep paralysis
If it is a one-night s episode, you will eventually forget this. However, In case you are a victim every night or frequently, you may need some good remedies. Medications may not suit all, but physiotherapy is a safe mode of treatment, which suits all and people of all ages. That is why try physiotherapy for sleep paralysis at home or by going to a nearest physiotherapy center or expert.


How physiotherapy helps
Physiotherapy has some unique benefits like:


- It brings a balance in blood circulation through the body, which helps brings down blood pressure, normalize mood, reduce stress, and makes the blood flow to the body organs and brain better, thus inducing a good night's sleep.


- The exercise induced on to the body through physiotherapy has a dual effect. It makes the muscles workout, and induces the massage effect too. This makes the muscles more mobile, and brings warmth on the tissues. That is why exercising before bedtime can help you get a very peaceful sleep without
fearful dreams and interferences of sleep paralysis attacks.


- You get a better mood due to increased blood circulation and the feeling of well being due to the agile and worked on muscles. This good mood and satisfaction after a nice physiotherapy session sometime before you sleep lets the serotonin pr happiness and satisfaction hormone builds up in the body and brain. This makes you sleep without stress and in a nice mood thus resisting sleep paralysis.

As children, you have probably learnt that paralysis is complete inability to move, sense, touch or control other bodily sensations. But little did we know that paralysis comes in many forms depending on the extent to which a person is immobilized. So, what is the difference between partial and total paralysis?

What is Total Paralysis?
Whether temporary or permanent, paralysis is the inability to move part of the body due to nerve damage. However it does not mean that people with total paralysis cannot move any parts of the body they can still use their faces and necks. The extensive form of paralysis is typically referred to as quadriplegia, which involves diminished or absence of movement in the trunk, arms, legs, hands and feet. Some common symptoms of total paralysis are as follows:

Difficulty swallowing
Unable to control bowels and bladder
Pain anywhere in the body
No sensation below the site of injury
Difficulty breathing
What is partial paralysis?
A smaller portion of the body is affected by partial paralysis. One of the most common types of partial paralysis is Paraplegia that occurs below the waist. If affects both the legs, hips and other functions. Other forms of partial paralysis can be Monoplegia where a single area like one limb gets affected and Hemiplegia where parts of the body on the same side get affected. Some common symptoms of partial paralysis are as follows:

Inability to walk
Difficulty with sexual functioning
Pain below the site of injury
Unable to feel or move your legs or arms
How to Predict the type of paralysis?
The location of the injury or site of nerve damage will usually determine the type of paralysis. Damages in the cervical spinal cord almost inevitably lead to total paralysis associated with quadriplegia. The higher the injury is located, the more extensive the paralysis will be. Lower injuries commonly lead to partial paralysis. The prognosis is generally much better with this type of paralysis. With proper care and therapy, individuals may experience intermittent difficulties with movement and can regain.

Can paralysis be treated?
Whether it is total paralysis or partial paralysis, the positive prognosis is certainly possible, given the condition of the patient and other factors. Physical therapy involves teaching the brain and spinal cord to work around the damage and also aid neuron healing over time. Paralysis can be classified under a number of ways and the most basic classification is that of partial or complete paralysis. Talk to your doctor to understand what type of paralysis you have and adopt a positive outlook to help you towards recovery.

Loss of sensation refers to numbness in a particular or several areas of the body. Individuals suffering from the condition become incapable of feeling touch, temperature, pain and vibration in the affected regions of the body. When this happens, it may lead to issues with balance, walking, driving and coordination, which makes them more susceptible to injuries.

If numbness is present for a long span of time, it may cause a host of issues. Such people are not able to notice infections, ulcers and injuries since they are not able to feel pain at all which in most cases leads to further complications.

How does the pathway for sensation work?

In order to feel the normal sensations, the sensory receptors are supposed to detect the information in as well as around the body. These receptors should send the signal through the sensory nerves and the nerve roots which are formed by joining together the sensory nerves into thick and short branches. It may also reach through the brain stem and to the area of the brain which is in charge of perceiving and interpreting the sensory signals.

What are the causes of partial or complete loss of sensation?

Different conditions can lead to numbness, and they may include:
Blocking or reducing the supply of blood to the nerves present in the body resulting from a stroke
Damage in the pathway for sensation which may result from sudden injuries or hereditary problems affecting the nerves called Friedreich ataxia.
Compression in the pathways of the nerve or infection in the nerve which typically occurs in HIV infection or Lyme disease
Metabolic abnormalities which occur in high blood sugar, vitamin B12 deficiency, and arsenic poisoning.
Sometimes, excessive pressure on various parts of the neural pathway may lead to loss of sensation. When a person repeats the same movements over and over again, it leads to internal swelling which may cause partial or complete loss of sensation. Herniation or rupture of the disk in the spine can cause osteoarthritis or narrowing of the passageway of the spinal cord. Lastly, an injury or a tumor or formation of pus near the spinal cord may result in this condition as well.

What are the treatment options for partial or complete loss of sensation?

When the sensations are impaired, the treatments for the problem depends on the cause of the problem. Sometimes, doctors recommend painkillers for treating abnormal sensations. One must also practice careful and proper foot care which also includes cutting the toenails in a podiatrist's office. But in case a pinched nerve or sciatica is the cause of impaired sensation, surgery can help in relieving the conditions to a great extent.

Thus, a loss of sensation is not to be overlooked and a doctor is to be consulted at the earliest to avoid complications.

As children, you have probably learnt that paralysis is complete inability to move, sense, touch or control other bodily sensations. But little did we know that paralysis comes in many forms depending on the extent to which a person is immobilized. So, what is the difference between partial and total paralysis?

What is Total Paralysis?
Whether temporary or permanent, paralysis is the inability to move part of the body due to nerve damage. However it does not mean that people with total paralysis cannot move any parts of the body they can still use their faces and necks. The extensive form of paralysis is typically referred to as quadriplegia, which involves diminished or absence of movement in the trunk, arms, legs, hands and feet. Some common symptoms of total paralysis are as follows:

Difficulty swallowing
Unable to control bowels and bladder
Pain anywhere in the body
No sensation below the site of injury
Difficulty breathing
What is partial paralysis?
A smaller portion of the body is affected by partial paralysis. One of the most common types of partial paralysis is Paraplegia that occurs below the waist. If affects both the legs, hips and other functions. Other forms of partial paralysis can be Monoplegia where a single area like one limb gets affected and Hemiplegia where parts of the body on the same side get affected. Some common symptoms of partial paralysis are as follows:

Inability to walk
Difficulty with sexual functioning
Pain below the site of injury
Unable to feel or move your legs or arms
How to Predict the type of paralysis?
The location of the injury or site of nerve damage will usually determine the type of paralysis. Damages in the cervical spinal cord almost inevitably lead to total paralysis associated with quadriplegia. The higher the injury is located, the more extensive the paralysis will be. Lower injuries commonly lead to partial paralysis. The prognosis is generally much better with this type of paralysis. With proper care and therapy, individuals may experience intermittent difficulties with movement and can regain.

Can paralysis be treated?
Whether it is total paralysis or partial paralysis, the positive prognosis is certainly possible, given the condition of the patient and other factors. Physical therapy involves teaching the brain and spinal cord to work around the damage and also aid neuron healing over time. Paralysis can be classified under a number of ways and the most basic classification is that of partial or complete paralysis. Talk to your doctor to understand what type of paralysis you have and adopt a positive outlook to help you towards recovery.

As children, you have probably learnt that paralysis is complete inability to move, sense, touch or control other bodily sensations. But little did we know that paralysis comes in many forms depending on the extent to which a person is immobilized. So, what is the difference between partial and total paralysis?

What is Total Paralysis?

Whether temporary or permanent, paralysis is the inability to move part of the body due to nerve damage. However, it does not mean that people with total paralysis cannot move any parts of the body - they can still use their faces and necks. The extensive form of paralysis is typically referred to as quadriplegia, which involves diminished or absence of movement in the trunk, arms, legs, hands and feet. Some common symptoms of total paralysis are as follows:

Difficulty swallowing
Unable to control bowels and bladder
Pain anywhere in the body
No sensation below the site of injury
Difficulty breathing
What is partial paralysis?

A smaller portion of the body is affected by partial paralysis. One of the most common types of partial paralysis is Paraplegia that occurs below the waist. If affects both the legs, hips and other functions. Other forms of partial paralysis can be Monoplegia where a single area like one limb gets affected and Hemiplegiawhere parts of the body on the same side get affected. Some common symptoms of partial paralysis are as follows:

Inability to walk
Difficulty with sexual functioning
Pain below the site of injury
Unable to feel or move your legs or arms
How to Predict the type of paralysis?

The location of the injury or site of nerve damage will usually determine the type of paralysis. Damages in the cervical spinal cord almost inevitably lead to total paralysis associated with quadriplegia. The higher the injury is located, the more extensive the paralysis will be. Lower injuries commonly lead to partial paralysis. The prognosis is generally much better with this type of paralysis. With proper care and therapy, individuals may experience intermittent difficulties with movement and can regain.

Can paralysis be treated?

Whether it is total paralysis or partial paralysis, the positive prognosis is certainly possible, given the condition of the patient and other factors. Physical therapy involves teaching the brain and spinal cord to work around the damage and also aid neuron healing over time. Paralysis can be classified under a number of ways and the most basic classification is that of partial or complete paralysis. Talk to your doctor to understand what type of paralysis you have and adopt a positive outlook to help you towards recovery.

Renal Tubular Acidosis is a medical condition. When the kidney is unable to acidify urine, it leads to the accumulation of acid in the body. Usually, when blood is filtered by the kidney, it passes through the tubules of the nephrons (the functional unit of the kidney).

Before it flows into the bladder from the kidney, the urine undergoes an exchange of salts, acids and other solutes. Renal tubular acidosis results in the formation of excessive amounts of acid because the kidneys cannot drain them. This may happen because the kidneys cannot reabsorb the alkaline bicarbonate ions from the urine in the early segment of the nephron or because of inadequate production of acidic hydrogen ions in the latter half of the nephron.

Renal Tubular Acidosis is simply associated with abnormal urinary acidification. Other functions of the kidneys remain unimpaired.
There are several different types of renal tubular acidosis-

Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis (RTA)
This is the most fundamental form of RTA. It is characterized when the hydrogen ions are not secreted into the lumen of the nephron by the alpha-intercalated cells of the medullary collective duct of the distal nephron. When this happens the pH of urine cannot be brought down below 5.3. Renal excretion is inhibited and hydrogen ions are not eliminated which leads to academia. At the same time, Potassium ions cannot be absorbed by the cell which leads to hypokalemia. The end result is protein retention and potassium excretion. Distal RTA can lead to the urinary stone formation, calcium deposits in the kidney, rickets and osteomalacia and Sjogren s syndrome.

Proximal RTA
When proximal tubular cells reabsorb 85% of filtered bicarbonates and 60% of filtered sodium from the urine, then this again leads to academia. The distal intercalated cells, however, function normally and so the academia is not as severe as in case of Distal RTA. The alpha-intercalated cells can acidify urine to a pH of 5.3 or less because they produce hydrogen ions. Proximal RTA is also associated with Fanconi Syndrome which is characterized by aminoaciduria, uricosuria, glucosuria, and tubular proteinuria.

Combined distal and proximal RTA
Inherited carbonic anhydrase II deficit leads to combined distal and proximal RTA. This is accompanied by osteopetrosis, cerebral calcification, and renal tubular acidosis. Cases of combined distal and proximal RTA are very rare.

How is RTA understood?
The following steps are applied to analyze Renal Tubular Acidosis-
Determining the anion gap in acidosis. The normal Anion Gap is 8-12 (4-6 mEq/L)
Separating the renal from the extrarenal causes of normal anion gap acidosis
Classifying the types of RTA
If it is distal RTA, further tests will be necessary to support the diagnosis

How is RTA diagnosed?
Three types of tests can reveal if a person is affected by Renal Tubular Acidosis-
Urine test
Acid load test
Physical examination

Treatment of RTA-
Doctors prescribe either or both of the following two types of therapies-

Alkali therapy- The pH level of urine is restored and electrolytes are balanced
Vitamin D supplements- If RTA leads to bone deformities or rickets, your doctor will prescribe vitamin supplements to strengthen your bones.

Timely diagnosis can prevent the effects of Renal tubular Acidosis from becoming compounded. With the right medication, a person can lead a healthy normal life.