Hyporeflexia is a sign of neurological problems caused by lesions along the spinal cord, spinal cord injuries, or progressive diseases. Treatment options depend on the cause and may include medical imaging, nerve tests, surgery, or symptom management.
Hyporeflexia is a reduction or absence of reflex in response to a stimulus, such as touching a reflex hammer or medical instrument. It is a sign of a neurological problem, indicating that something is wrong with a patient’s sensory or motor neurons in the area of interest. This may be discovered during a routine neurological evaluation or as part of testing to determine the extent and origins of a known medical problem. Treatment options may depend on why the patient’s reflexes are impaired.
Reflex testing involves testing common automatic reflexes that are not independently controlled by the patient. The classic example is the snap of the knee when the bone is gently tapped. When a neurologist checks for a reflex and the response doesn’t occur or isn’t as strong as it should be, it means the patient may have a medical problem. The test is commonly repeated to ensure it was done correctly before conclusively stating that the patient appears to have hyporeflexia.
Lesions along the spinal cord are a likely cause of this problem. A patient may have a slipped or compressed disc or pinched nerve, for example, which interferes with the conduction of nerve signals. Spinal cord injuries, such as those sustained in a bad car accident, may be involved, as well as progressive injuries caused by disease. Patients with multiple sclerosis, for example, can develop hyporeflexia as the condition eats away at the protective myelin sheaths that cover nerves.
When this problem is identified, the patient may need some medical imaging studies to learn more about what’s going on inside the spinal cord. Further tests on the nerves may also be recommended, along with an extensive interview with the patient if there is no obvious cause for the damage. Hyporeflexia in someone being evaluated after an automobile accident, for example, may be attributed to a spinal cord injury sustained in the accident, while the sudden onset of impaired reflexes with no known cause may be another issue.
Some patients may need surgery to correct problems such as nerve impingement. Medications can help control conditions that create spinal cord injuries. In other cases, treatment for hyporeflexia may be focused on managing symptoms and maintaining patient comfort. Some spinal cord injuries are irreversible and cannot be corrected. Adaptations may be needed to address specific problems caused by injury, such as loss of bowel control, to keep the patient healthy and functional for as long as possible.
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