A spinal cord injury can cause paralysis in some cases. If another person’s negligent actions caused your injuries, a skilled paralysis attorney can demand full compensation for your future losses. A Dallas Paralysis Case Review Free can work with medical experts and life care planners to forecast your future costs and provide a complete picture of what your case is worth.
What is Paralysis?
Typically, paralysis is an inability to move or feel sensations on the body. It can be a temporary or permanent condition, depending on the cause. Paralysis can affect all or just one part of the body, such as the arms, legs, face, or even the entire body.
Paralysis can be classified as either Flaccid, which means that the muscles lose tone and shrink, or Spastic, in which the muscle movement is limited to spasms. It is also possible for people with paralysis to experience other symptoms, such as bladder and bowel problems (urinary incontinence or loss of bowel control), and depression due to the loss of independence.
If you have any concerns that you might be experiencing paralysis, then it is important to see your doctor as soon as possible. This will allow them to diagnose the cause and provide you with the best treatment and management options available. This will also help reduce the risk of complications, such as pressure sores (bedsores) that can develop on the skin over long periods of time.
Causes of Paralysis
Paralysis can be temporary or permanent and is usually caused by injury to the spinal cord. However, it can also be caused by strokes and hereditary conditions. The symptoms of paralysis can range from weakness in the muscles to a complete loss of feeling in the body or face.
Some people with paralysis feel a numbness or tingling sensation, often called “pins and needles,” that develops gradually. Others experience a sense of floppiness or weakness in their affected muscles. The symptom that is present depends on where the spinal cord was injured and how severe the injury is.
In addition to affecting movement, paralysis can also cause problems with breathing, how the organs work, and the ability to speak or swallow, depending on the location of the injury. It can also lead to urinary incontinence and bowel control issues, which can be difficult to manage and may lead to infections. Immobility can also lead to bedsores, which is a life-threatening condition.
Diagnosis of Paralysis
Paralysis can be temporary, as in Bell’s palsy, or permanent, as in stroke and spinal cord injury. It can affect one side of the body (hemiplegia) or both arms and legs (quadriplegia). People with quadriplegia may have trouble breathing and need a ventilator.
Doctors diagnose paralysis based on the symptoms and the cause of the paralysis. They examine the affected body parts and ask questions about when you first noticed the symptoms, how quickly they developed and whether they come and go. They may also order imaging tests like X-rays and CT or MRI scans.
X-rays can identify bone fractures and injuries, while CT and MRI scans provide detailed images of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Other diagnostic tests include electromyography to test the electrical activity of muscles, blood tests to rule out underlying medical conditions, and lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to get a sample of cerebrospinal fluid to diagnose conditions like multiple sclerosis or inflammation of the spinal cord.
Treatment of Paralysis
Currently, there is no cure for paralysis. However, there are treatments that can help people living with this condition to manage their symptoms and live a good life. Treatment options include physical, occupational and speech therapy. In addition, adaptive equipment and assistive technology such as voice-activated computers and lighting systems can improve daily functioning.
Some types of paralysis are temporary, such as Bell’s palsy or a stroke. Others are permanent, including spinal cord injuries and autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
If you’ve been injured in an accident and suffering from paralysis, you deserve compensation that reflects the challenges that lie ahead. To find out how much you may be entitled to, contact our experienced Chicago and Washington, D.C.-based paralysis injury lawyers for a free case review. Using visual evidence, such as video surveillance footage from the scene of the accident, can also be valuable in your case. Contact us today to get started.