What Causes Paralysis

The word “Paralysis” comes from the Greek which means “disabling of nerves”. Paralysis is mainly caused due to loss of muscular function in any part of the body. There is a lack of sensation in that part of the body that makes it immobile. Muscles in itself cannot cause paralysis, since muscles are controlled by nervous system. The nervous system, comprising of nerves spinal cord and brain, processes messages to and from the brain and other parts of the body. Hence, paralysis occurs mainly due to some sort of nerve damage, that is, there is a problem with any nerve or when any part of the spinal cord is injured.

In human beings the spinal cord consists of 24 vertebrae. How severe the impact of paralysis is on a person depends upon how high up on the spine the injury occurs. For instance, if a person gets injured in the upper part of the spine, he/she may be paralyzed from the neck below. Similarly a person with a middle back injury may have functional muscles in the upper part of the body, whereas his/her lower part may be immobile. Paralysis may be localized or general, temporary or permanent, partial or complete, and spastic or flaccid. The extent or type of paralysis depends upon the kind of damage that has occurred to the nervous system.

There may be numerous causes to paralysis, for example, accidents, poisoning, infection, blocked blood vessels and tumours. However, there are four main causes which are as follows.

• Stroke: Paralysis due to stroke occurs when there is a disruption in the flow of blood to the brain. The brain receives oxygen and nutrients that it requires to function, through the blood. The blood supply stops when there is a blood clot or the weak blood vessels have burst.

• Head Injury: Paralysis may also occur when the part of the brain that controls specific muscles of our body gets injured. In this case , the messages or signals transmitted to and from the particular muscles cannot be received or interpreted by the brain.

• Spinal Cord Injury: The spinal cord is one of the main part of the central nervous system that transmits signals to and from the brain and other parts of the body. When there is an injury in the neck or spine, the brain is unable to transmit messages to and from the other parts of the body resulting in  paralysis. Such problems may occur in cases of accidents, falls or certain diseases which can damage the spinal cord.

• Multiple Sclerosis: This is a disease that causes damage to the nerves. When there is an inflammation that scars the nerves, there is a disruption in the communication between the brain and the muscles and a paralytic disease known as multiple sclerosis occurs.

No specific generalization can be made regarding the risk of occurrence of paralysis. Such a disease may be caused due to family history, ethnicity, and pre existing conditions. Some people are more prone to a temporary facial paralysis known as Bell’s palsy. Such people might have a family history of the disease or might be the third trimester of pregnancy or have cold, influenza or diabetes. Similarly, older people who have high blood pressure, diabetes, or those who are overweight may have stroke, thus leading to paralysis. Thus a healthy life, healthy food habits and a good deal of exercise may considerably reduce the risk of such diseases.