Modern Treatment of Paralysis

Causes and Symptoms:

Causes: Paralysis or stroke is caused by a disruption in blood flow within the brain’s blood vessels. If a part of the brain is suddenly damaged or blood supply is cut off, the limbs on one side of the body stop functioning, leading to paralysis.
Symptoms: Partial paralysis may occur on one side of the body due to mild strokes. Stroke victims lose normal mobility. Every six seconds, someone dies from a stroke globally.

Different parts of the brain control different parts of the body, so stroke symptoms depend on the affected brain area.
Paralysis may occur on one or both sides of the body.
Muscle tone or elasticity decreases initially and then gradually increases, or muscles in the arms and legs become weak and soft.
Pain may occur in the limbs, and movement can be fully or partially reduced.
Muscles may atrophy or become rigid.
Speech and eating difficulties can also arise.

Treatment:

Stroke patients require treatment from a team that includes neurologists, general physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and vocational trainers.
Medications can reduce the risk for stroke patients but cannot restore normal bodily functions.
Proper physiotherapy is essential to regain normal bodily functions post-stroke.

Physiotherapy Treatments:

Mechanical Treatments: Depending on the patient’s condition, treatments like infrared radiation (IRR), paraffin wax packs, and electrical stimulation may be used.
Manual Treatments:
- Normalizing breathing through breathing techniques.
- Preventing bedsores through proper positioning.
- Maintaining normal muscle length through stretching, strengthening, and hold-relax techniques.
- Training patients to sit up and stand from a lying position using bed mobility techniques.
- Restoring normal muscle tone and joint mobility through passive movement.
- Improving balance and coordination, and regaining normal walking ability through gait re-education.
- Enhancing the patient’s work capacity and improving their mental state.

Assistive Devices:

Depending on the condition, patients may need to use wheelchairs, crutches, frames, or sticks.