Paralysis

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.

Most paralysis is due to strokes or injuries such as spinal cord injury or a broken neck. Other causes of paralysis include:

• Nerve diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Autoimmune diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Bell's palsy, which affects muscles in the face

Polio used to be a cause of paralysis, but polio no longer occurs in the U.S.

Start Here

• Causes of Paralysis (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)
• Newly Paralyzed (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)

Living With

• How Do I Deal with Depression and Adjustment to My Spinal Cord Injury? (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)
• Paralysis: Rehabilitation (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)

Related Issues

• Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Living with Paralysis (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)
• Paralysis: Secondary Conditions (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)
• Stay Healthy on the Road (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)
• Wheelchairs (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)

Specifics

• Brown-Sequard Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Familial Periodic Paralyses (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Locked-In Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Todd's Paralysis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Genetics

• Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (National Library of Medicine)
• Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hypokalemic periodic paralysis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Spastic paraplegia type 2: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Spastic paraplegia type 31: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Spastic paraplegia type 4: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Spastic paraplegia type 7: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Troyer syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Stats About Paralysis (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemiplegia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Paralysis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Paraplegia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Quadriplegia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Spinal Cord Injuries (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Favorable neurological recovery for MESCC-induced paralysis with median 9-day duration before...
• Article: Retrospective, cross-sectional study of the determinants of acute flaccid paralysis among...
• Article: Novel evaluation method for facial nerve palsy using 3D facial recognition...
• Paralysis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician (American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Hemiplegia in Children: What Do I Do Next? (Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association)

Teenagers

• Parenting (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center)

Patient Handouts

• Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Muscle function loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish