| Causes of Quadriplegia | | | | medical term used to define paralysis which affects |
| Cervical (neck) injuries usually result in four limb | | | | the lower extremities, upper extremities, and most, |
| paralysis. This is referred to as Tetraplegia or | | | | or all, of the trunk from the neck down. |
| Quadriplegia. Injuries above the C-4 level may require | | | | Signs and symptoms |
| a ventilator or electrical implant for the person to | | | | The location of the injury. In general, injuries that are |
| breathe. This is because the diaphragm is controlled | | | | higher in your spinal cord produce more paralysis. For |
| by spinal nerves exiting at the upper level of the | | | | example, a spinal cord injury at the neck level may |
| neck. Refers to paralysis from approximately the | | | | cause paralysis in both arms and legs and make it |
| shoulders down. Most spinal cord injuries result in loss | | | | impossible to breathe without a respirator, while a |
| of sensation and function below the level of injury, | | | | lower injury may affect only your legs and lower |
| including loss of controlled function of the bladder and | | | | parts of your body.Symptoms of cerebral palsy can |
| bowel. | | | | be as simple as having difficulty with fine motor tasks |
| Quadriplegia is a type of cerebral palsy in which all | | | | like writing or using scissors, or as profound as being |
| four limbs are affected. It is usually accompanied by | | | | unable to maintain balance or walk. Severely afflicted |
| more severe symptoms of nerve damage interfering | | | | patients may have involuntary movements, such as |
| with normal muscle movement than the other | | | | uncontrollable hand motions and drooling |
| types. | | | | Treatment of Quadriplegia |
| Causes of Quadriplegia | | | | Quadriplegia treatment is catered to the specific |
| You may be paralyzed because you were in a car or | | | | needs of each patient and often depends on the |
| sports accident that broke your neck. Having a tumor | | | | nature and severity of a person’s condition. |
| or other diseases in your spinal canal can also cause | | | | Quadriplegia treatment generally addresses a |
| quadriplegia. It may be possible for the nerves to | | | | patient’s loss of functioning and feeling in certain |
| start working again if your spinal cord is just bruised | | | | areas of the body, loss or impairments in organ |
| or swollen. | | | | functioning |
| It is caused by damage to the brain or the spinal | | | | In the meantime, spinal cord injury treatment focuses |
| cord at a high level - in particular spinal cord injuries | | | | on preventing further injury and enabling people with |
| secondary to an injury to the cervical spine. The | | | | a spinal cord injury to return to an active and |
| injury, known as a lesion, causes victims to lose | | | | productive life within the limits of their disability. This |
| partial or total mobility of all four limbs, meaning the | | | | requires urgent emergency attention and ongoing |
| arms and the legs.Typical causes of this damage are | | | | care.Conservative treatment of pressure sores |
| trauma (such as an auto accident, gunshot wound, | | | | includes appropriate wound care, debridement of |
| fall, or sports injury) or disease (such as transverse | | | | necrotic tissue, optimization of nutrition, release of |
| myelitis, polio, or spina bifida). | | | | pressure, and minimization of muscle spasticity to |
| There are a variety of common causes for | | | | provide the patient with the best opportunity to heal |
| quadriplegia. Quadriplegia is often the result of | | | | by secondary intention. Stage 1 and 2 pressure sores |
| traumatic injury to the spinal cord. Quadriplegia is the | | | | are treated conservatively. |