What is Hemiplegia ?
Hemiplegia is a form of paralysis that affects one side of the body, usually the right or left side. It’s often caused by brain damage, which can be due to a stroke. The hemiplegic arm is limp and unresponsive, and the patient may also have difficulty moving their head or eyes. The good news is that hemiplegia treatment through physiotherapy can help patients regain strength and movement in their limbs.
Hemiplegia definition :
“Hemiplegia” means paralysis of the arm, leg or the side of the face; “hemi” has to do with the half, “plegia” with paralysis. An arm or leg is “paralyzed” when it is weak. The word “paralyzed” does not mean dead. The arm or leg can still be moved but not as well as before the illness.
If left untreated, hemiplegia can change the way a person lives. People with hemiplegia are not able to control their bodies or their surroundings. They face the challenge of regaining the ability to walk again. However, with proper treatment and rehabilitation, they can resume their normal life.
A stroke is caused by an obstruction in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. This obstruction is caused by a blood clot or a build up of plaque in the arteries. The obstruction prevents the blood from flowing to the brain. The lack of blood flow to the brain causes damage to the brain, and the brain cells stop functioning properly.
hemiplegia definition
Hemiplegia Causes :
The most common causes of hemiplegia are a stroke, trauma, or a neurodegenerative disease like Multiple Sclerosis. It is also caused by a brain tumour, infection, or lack of oxygen to the brain. The location of the brain damage and the severity of the stroke determines which side of the body is affected. A stroke affects a person’s left side of the brain when the artery that supplies blood to the left side of the brain is blocked, causing the left side of the body to be unable to function.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is disrupted (ischemia). In such cases, the affected area of the brain does not have the oxygen and glucose it requires to function properly. A stroke may result in a lesion, the damage caused by lack of oxygen and glucose (ischemia), to the part of the brain. The death of brain cells is called infarction.
hemiplegia symptoms A hemiplegia affects the muscles on the side of the body that is not affected by the nerve damage. Hemiplegia symptoms can vary depending on the severity of the stroke. Patients with a mild stroke may not notice any symptoms. Patients with a moderate stroke may have weakness in either the arm or leg on the same side as the stroke or in the arm or leg on the opposite side.
When a stroke occurs in a specific location of the brain (for example in a person’s speech or language center), the person can have speech problems (dysarthria) and problems with understanding words (aphasia). Many people with a left hemisphere stroke also have problems with memory, particularly for language (aphasia), and can have trouble doing simple math and memorizing lists of items (dyscalculia). For people with a right hemisphere stroke, memory is generally unaffected, their speech may be normal (but may have problems with understanding words), and they may not have problems with math or memorizing lists. They may also have trouble organizing their thoughts and may have trouble with some of the tasks that require spatial awareness.
Hemiplegia differential diagnosis
When you have hemiplegia and want to know what it is, you should first get a diagnosis from a neurologist. You need to know what caused your hemiplegia so that you can treat the problem. You need to know how sick you are to treat your hemiplegia properly. The same stroke may be called a “cerebral infarct,” “cerebral haemorrhage,” or a “cerebral thrombosis.”
Diagnosis :
The area of the brain affected by the infarct or lesion can be determined by a CT scan or MRI. The part of the brain that is affected determines the function of the side the stroke has affected. The brain areas responsible for movement of the left side of the body are in the left hemisphere of the brain. The brain areas responsible for movement of the right side of the body are in the right hemisphere of the brain.
Treatment :
Treatment and rehabilitation techniques can be used to help the patient regain the ability to walk again, prevent permanent damage to the muscles and develop skills to help the person regain independence and self-sufficiency. In most cases, patients recover from this condition, but rehabilitation can take many months to complete. Patients who can no longer walk or perform other daily activities may need to use a wheelchair to move around. Treatments and rehabilitation vary depending on the type of stroke and the part of the brain affected.
Physiotherapy Treatment :
Hemiplegia can be corrected through physical therapy, which teaches patients to use their brains instead of their muscles to move their arms and legs. The physical therapy improves patients’ balance and posture, and helps them to better function. The physical therapy also improves their strength, endurance, coordination, agility, balance, and coordination. Physical therapy works best for patients whose hemiplegia involves the lower body, such as those who may walk with a limp or who have poor balance and coordination.
Conclusion :
When the blood supply is interrupted, it is very important for people to seek medical attention as soon as possible. When medical attention is not provided, it may be too late for recovery. The earlier that the blood supply is interrupted, and the more severe the interruption, the greater the risk of permanent damage. However, rehabilitation is used to help people recover, even if it takes some time to complete.
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