| Quadriplegia : is when a person has a spinal cord | | | | medical term used to define paralysis which affects |
| injury above the first thoracic vertebra, paralysis | | | | the lower extremities, upper extremities, and most, |
| usually affects the cervical spinal nerves resulting in | | | | or all, of the trunk from the neck down. |
| paralysis of all four limbs. In addition to the arms and | | | | Signs and symptoms of Quadriplegia |
| legs being paralyzed, the abdominal and chest | | | | The location of the injury. In general, injuries that are |
| muscles will also be affected resulting in weakened | | | | higher in your spinal cord produce more paralysis. For |
| breathing and the inability to properly cough and clear | | | | example, a spinal cord injury at the neck level may |
| the chest. People with this type of paralysis are | | | | cause paralysis in both arms and legs and make it |
| referred to as Quadriplegic or Tetraplegic. | | | | impossible to breathe without a respirator, while a |
| Refers to paralysis from approximately the shoulders | | | | lower injury may affect only your legs and lower |
| down. Most spinal cord injuries result in loss of | | | | parts of your body. |
| sensation and function below the level of injury, | | | | Symptoms of cerebral palsy can be as simple as |
| including loss of controlled function of the bladder and | | | | having difficulty with fine motor tasks like writing or |
| bowel. | | | | using scissors, or as profound as being unable to |
| Quadriplegia is a type of cerebral palsy in which all | | | | maintain balance or walk. Severely afflicted patients |
| four limbs are affected. It is usually accompanied by | | | | may have involuntary movements, such as |
| more severe symptoms of nerve damage interfering | | | | uncontrollable hand motions and drooling |
| with normal muscle movement than the other 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. | | | | care. |
| Typical causes of this damage are trauma (such as | | | | Conservative treatment of pressure sores includes |
| an auto accident, gunshot wound, fall, or sports | | | | appropriate wound care, debridement of necrotic |
| injury) or disease (such as transverse myelitis, polio, | | | | tissue, optimization of nutrition, release of pressure, |
| or spina bifida). | | | | and minimization of muscle spasticity to provide the |
| There are a variety of common causes for | | | | patient with the best opportunity to heal by |
| quadriplegia. Quadriplegia is often the result of | | | | secondary intention. Stage 1 and 2 pressure sores are |
| traumatic injury to the spinal cord. Quadriplegia is the | | | | treated conservatively. |