Paralysis is caused by a loss of communication between the brain and spinal cord. Common causes include accidents and strokes, with injuries to the head, neck, and back being the most common. There are various types of paralysis, and spinal cord injury can often lead to paralysis. Proper care after an accident can prevent paralysis.
Considering the medical definition of paralysis, there’s really only one cause of paralysis: a loss of communication between the brain and spinal cord. There are, however, some common causes of paralysis or things that commonly cause paralysis. Such causes include accidents and strokes. Car accidents, falls, assaults, and sports injuries are the most common causes of paralysis, due to the head, neck, and back injuries they can sustain. Injuries to these parts of the body often involve injury to the brain and spinal cord.
The various causes of paralysis can actually be broken down into more specific causes. For example, an assault against someone involving a stab in the back could easily injure the person’s spinal cord. However, hitting someone in the arm would not be among the most common causes of paralysis, although it is also an assault. Car accidents are especially dangerous due to the high risk of trauma to the brain and spinal cord that exists. The danger exists regardless of which side of the car is hit or whether the person inside the vehicle is the driver or a passenger.
Pedestrians hit by motor vehicles could also be considered one of the most common causes of paralysis, because they can suffer brain and spinal cord injuries just like passengers in automobiles. It’s no wonder that falls from a ladder or flight of stairs are one of the most common causes, because they can even be fatal. Athletes, especially those who participate in physically demanding sports such as wrestling, skiing, diving, hang gliding and soccer, are almost always at an increased risk of sustaining brain and spinal injuries.
Just as there are various causes of paralysis, there are also various types of paralysis. Hemiplegia is paralysis of the leg, trunk and arm on the same side of the body. Paralysis in the lower body is called paraplegia, and tetraplegia is paralysis of all four limbs. Any of these conditions can present with spinal cord injury, depending on which section of the cord is damaged.
Although spinal cord injury can and often does lead to some type of paralysis, learning the do’s and don’ts of an accident can make all the difference in whether a victim is left paralyzed. For example, knowing the danger of improperly moving an accident victim should be common knowledge so that someone with good intentions doesn’t cause harm. Any kind of unexplained paralysis or weakness in the body should be a reason to see a doctor.
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