Muscle Paralysis - Flaccid Paralysis, Bulbar, Erba, Bella, Spastic

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Muscle paralysis

Paralysis is characterized by a serious loss of the most important motor functions of a muscle or muscle group with damage to the nervous system. This ailment overtakes the patient when neurons or nerve fibers are affected. Impaired circulation, a brain tumor, or hemorrhage of the brain or spinal cord can be one of the manifestations of damage to the nervous system. Paralysis can also occur as a result of an accident when the nerves of the limbs or the spinal cord are damaged.

Flaccid and spastic paralysis

In medicine, flaccid and spastic paralysis are distinguished. Flaccid paralysis is characterized by a drop in muscle tone, then the affected muscles die. Spastic paralysis, on the contrary, is distinguished by increased muscle tone. In this case, patients can hardly control the movement of the muscles of their body. Flaccid paralysis can affect the peripheral nerve, while spastic paralysis can affect the spinal cord and brain.

And yet, such clinical types are not separate diseases, because various factors can cause these syndromes. However, there are still separate types of paralysis, which are independent diseases. For example, shaking palsy or Parkinson's disease, infantile paralysis or polio, cerebral palsy, bulbar palsy, Bell's palsy, Erb's palsy.

Bell's palsy

Damage to the facial nerve leads to peripheral facial paralysis. It is also called Bell's palsy. This type of paralysis is not uncommon, it can occur due to hypothermia, polyneuropathy, infectious diseases, malignant tumors, vascular or degenerative lesions in the brain stem. The disease can manifest itself against the background of various serious injuries or a recent operation.

But more and more often, when Bell's palsy occurs, it is not possible to establish one of the main reasons. When this dangerous ailment affects the facial nerve, complete muscle paralysis occurs on one part of the face. Such patients cannot close their eyes, it is difficult for them to talk and eat. Paralysis of both sides of the face is much less common.

The dysfunction of the affected muscles usually occurs a couple of weeks after the onset of the disease. The further course of the disease may depend on the cause of the disease. For example, facial paralysis can become irreversible if the cause is ear disease or various trauma. True, more often this disease is temporary and after a few weeks the muscles of the face are already restored.

Modern therapy for Bell's palsy is the use of corticosteroids and salicylates. They also use local heat and electrotherapy, which are able to perfectly keep the affected muscles in good shape.

Bulbar palsy

There are two types of bulbar paralysis: acute and progressive. Acute paralysis is often a form of poliomyelitis. The disease deprives the mouth organs of motor functions, as well as the larynx and pharynx. This disease occurs suddenly. The main symptoms can be noted when the patient has pain and dizziness, or when he feels severe chills and fever. In this case, there is no muscle pain.

It should be noted that the patient's breathing and pulse become irregular, nasal and indistinct speech appears. The sick person cannot control breathing and swallowing. The course of the disease is rapid. In the first days of illness, in severe cases, a person dies of suffocation. With a mild course of the disease, recovery soon occurs with partial paralysis of the affected muscles. A progressive form of bulbar palsy is rare.

Unfortunately, the origin of this dangerous disease is still unknown. This disease is noted in some middle-aged men and manifests itself as severe bilateral muscle paralysis. The affected area is often the tongue, lips, pharynx and larynx. Changes in voice occur, difficulty in speech appears. It is difficult for the patient to chew and swallow food. There is no cure for this disease, and death occurs several years after the onset of the disease.

Erb's palsy

Erb's palsy is in almost all cases a consequence of birth trauma to the brachial plexus, when the fifth nerve of the spinal cord is damaged. As a result of difficult labor, paralysis of the shoulder muscles and flexor muscles of the forearm occurs. This disease is diagnosed in two out of a thousand babies.

When making a diagnosis, they are guided by the following symptoms: anxiety of the child, decreased muscle tone of the baby, weakened breathing, extension of the injured arm inwardly at the elbow and clenching of the fingers into a fist. In this case, there may be a lack of active movements in the limb.

The main therapy for Erb's paralysis should be carried out by pediatricians from the very birth of the child. It is necessary by all means to prevent the serious development of contractures. Splints are usually applied to the affected limb. After three weeks, a special therapeutic massage and certain physiotherapy procedures are performed. Drug treatment includes taking specific drugs that normalize the function of the central nervous system.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".