Quadriplegia - Symptoms & Treatment

Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is a symptom in which a human experiences paralysis of all four limbs, though not inevitably total paralysis. Quadriplegia is a spinal cord injury. Common contributors to quadriplegia include vehicle accidents, falls, and sports disservices. Quadriplegia is discriminated by the spinal injury at neck level. When quadriplegia happens, the quadriplegia sufferer may have afflicted breathing and experience paralyzed arms, legs, and trunk. Each year, approximately 11,000 people are affected by spinal cord injury, with 47 percent leading to quadriplegia. About 250,000 Americans are currently living with paralysis. More than 80 percent of spinal cord injury victims are male; the moderate age of quadriplegia victim is 32. The spinal cord is referred to as the pathway between the brain and the body. When the spinal cord is damaged, the transmission of information between the brain and the body parts it controls is tumbled. The spinal cord is sectioned into five sections: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal regions. The level of injury arbitrates the extent of paralysis, with loss of sensation and mobility usually occurring below the site of the injury. Hence, quadriplegia occurs when there is damage to the upper portion of the spinal cord, or the cervical and thoracic regions. Quadriplegia can be described as both complete and incomplete. Complete refers to complete loss of sensation and bodily function below the injury level; incomplete injuries refer to partisan loss, and are more common than complete injuries. Though the spinal cord can be severely harmed, it is rarely fully severed. Symptoms of quadriplegia may comprise weakness, numbness, pain, as well as any other characteristics.

Causes of Quadriplegia

Common Causes of Quadriplegia :

• Spinal cord trauma .
• Brainstem lesion.
• Family history of certain inheritable nerve diseases.

Symptoms of Quadriplegia

Some common Symptoms of Quadriplegia :

• Impotence.
• Loss of sensation in arms and legs.
• Incontinence of bladder and bowels.
• Loss of ability to intentionally move arms and legs.
• Breathing difficulties.