They discovered that embedding the Chondroitinase ABC enzyme in lipid microtubes on a group of dogs with naturally occurring spinal cord injuries helped them regain some limb function. The enzyme was able to eat away at the scar successfully. This is exactly what researchers are hoping will happen in humans; the Chondroitinase ABC enzyme will eat away at the scar on humans with spinal cord injuries, and help spur nerve regeneration. The spinal cord injury community has known about the Chondroitinase ABC enzyme for almost two decades.
Discovered in the United States by Dr. Jerry Silver, it was discovered that one could stabilize the enzyme Chondroitinase ABC when taking it from certain strains of bacteria. King's College in London has been researching how Chondroitinase ABC can help spinal cord injuries for almost two decades. Since , there have been several studies looking at Chondroitinase ABC. In , it was discovered that combining treadmill therapy and exercise in combination with Chondroitinase ABC in animal models showed better than expected functional discovery.
Encouraged by these results, in Spinal-Research. In , Dr. Silver and his team looked at how Chondroitinase ABC, when combined with nerve graphs, could help return respiratory function in quadriplegic rodents, and they discovered that within 12 weeks a flush of the new nerves grew at the injury site, helping partially restore breathing.
While there are no human trials planned involving Chondroitinase ABC yet, with the latest results coming from the canine study, a human clinical trial could be very soon. Remember, you can keep up on the latest clinical trials available in the United States by visiting the clinical trials watch site and searching "Chondroitinase ABC" : centerwatch.
Medical expenses alone can easily reach millions of dollars. The problem is that earning money while recovering from a spinal cord injury is going to be nigh impossible for most. Who is going to pay for those medical treatments?
In an ideal world, your medical insurance would cover all of the cost of your spinal cord injury recovery. It may be necessary to try to find out who is responsible for causing the paralysis and make them pay for the damage done. This is where having a spinal cord injury attorney can help. Many states have strict limits on how long after an injury occurs that you can seek financial compensation.
The faster you can find an attorney after discovering an injury, the better! Have questions about spinal cord injuries or how to look for legal assistance? Reach out to us for answers! Leave a Comment. Spinal cord injuries are traumatic for patients and their families. They cause disruptive changes to every aspect of your life and there is a lot of new information to navigate and understand. Our experts have collected everything in one place to help you learn more about your injury, locate doctors and treatment centers, find financial support, and get assistance navigating your next move.
Table of Content 1. What is Paralysis? What Does Permanent Paralysis Mean? What Does Temporary Paralysis Mean? Permanent vs Temporary Paralysis 5. Types of Paralysis and Their Symptoms 6. Common Causes of Paralysis 7.
Myths About Paralysis 8. Paralysis Treatment Options 9. Paralysis Legal Help and Settlement Options. What Is Paralysis? Complete: A person lacks all ability to move their muscles. Temporary: Temporary paralysis occurs when all or some muscle control comes and goes periodically. This episodic condition most often occurs because of muscle weakness, disease, or hereditary causes.
Permanent paralysis is often caused by severe brain damage or the severing of the spinal cord. Permanent Vs Temporary Paralysis Unlike permanent paralysis, temporary paralysis is periodic. Types of Temporary Paralysis The different types of temporary paralysis are defined by which ion channel in the muscle membrane is affected. A few examples include: Hypokalemic periodic paralysis: an inherited disorder that is defined by extremely low levels of potassium in the blood due to impaired sodium channels in the muscle membrane.
The weakness in the muscles may be mild and only occur in certain muscle groups, or be may severe and impair the arms and legs. Paramyotonia congenita: a congenital disorder where the muscles will not relax after they contract due to dysfunction in the nerves. In this case, the problem is located in the nervous system instead of the muscles. Andersen-Tawil syndrome: a rare genetic disorder that affects the rhythm of the heart, disrupting the flow of potassium in the skeletal and cardiac muscle.
People with this type of temporary paralysis may also have weakness in general, even in between attacks. Treatments usually consist of: Controlling carbohydrates in a person's diet; Oral potassium chloride supplements; Management of thyroid function; and Specific lifestyle changes including a designated amount of exercise and physical activity. Types of Paralysis and Their Symptoms Although paralysis is often used as a blanket term to describe any loss of sensation or function, the truth is that the condition can take many forms.
These types of paralysis may also result from medical malpractice : Monoplegia When paralysis is limited to just one part of the body — such as a single limb — it is known as monoplegia. Hemiplegia Not to be confused with diplegia , this type of paralysis occurs when a patient experiences a loss of function in an arm and a leg on a single side of the body — also known as the paralysis of one side of the body.
Hemiplegia can result in a variety of conditions, including: Changes in cognition, mood, or perception; Reduced ability to speak; Seizures; and Reduced muscle density due to atrophy and spasms. Paraplegia When a patient is paralyzed from the waist down he or she is suffering from paraplegia.
Some of the symptoms of paraplegia include: Loss of mobility or sensory function below the waist; Changes in mood; Loss of sensation or phantom pain; Decreased sexual function, libido, or fertility; and Chronic pain. Quadriplegia The most severe of these four basic forms of paralysis, patients suffering from quadriplegia or tetraplegia have paralysis from the neck down. Diplegia This type of symmetrical paralysis affects the same area on both sides of the body — such as both arms or both legs.
Here are a few of the most common causes of paralysis when medical malpractice is involved: Childbirth Having a new baby is actually one of the few times anyone will visit the hospital for anything positive. Inaccurate Diagnoses Your medical professionals are often the voice you rely on to guide you in the best way to solve any health problems that may arise. Surgery Complications Surgeries are typically among the most serious medical procedures a patient will endure.
Infections That Can Cause Paralysis An infection results from bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites getting into the body.
Insect Bites and Stings Most bites from insects such as fleas, mosquitoes, bed bugs, and spiders, pose hardly any danger to human health. Mosquitoes Mosquitoes have become infamous as disease carriers due to outbreaks of Zika Virus and other illnesses.
Spiders A spider bite can be life threatening, especially in the elderly and in infants, because their immune systems are not as strong. Ticks In most cases, the bite of a tick isn't harmful, but in others it can lead to life-threatening problems like Lyme disease, tularaemia, ehrlichiosis, and paralysis of the legs.
Fire Ants Odds are you have felt the intense sting of an ant bite at one point or another in your life. Therefore, temporary paralysis has a stronger chance of recovery. In some cases, temporary paralysis can be reversed with medical technologies or through physical rehabilitation. Ultimately, temporary paralysis does eventually go away, while permanent paralysis does not in the majority of cases, and permanently paralyzed individuals will likely never recover their motor functions.
Temporary paralysis is usually caused by damage or disruption in the genes, which impact the muscle membrane and prevent it from completing its functions. Traumatic damage can puncture the muscle membrane and disrupt these signals. The most common cause of temporary paralysis is spinal cord injury from a traumatic accident such as a car accident or slip and fall.
Spinal cord injury comprises approximately Athletes who play contact sports are also at higher risk for temporary paralysis from transient spinal cord injury.
Individuals who go into shock after a particularly traumatizing or catastrophic accident may also experience temporary paralysis. In some cases, a severe infection from an injury can also cause temporary paralysis if it is not effectively treated immediately.
For example, diseases from insect bites, such as Zika Virus and West Nile Virus can cause brain infection and temporary paralysis if the insect is carrying them while puncturing the skin.
Other times, temporary paralysis can be caused in individuals who are susceptible to periods of paralysis after exposure to certain triggers, such as changing temporatures, extreme hot or cold temperatures, anxiety, hunger, excitement, stress or trauma.
The periodic paralysis can result in severe muscle weakness and the partial or complete inability to move parts of the body. GBS can lead to temporary paralysis.
Risk factors for stroke include [3]:. Poliomyelitis is a viral paralytic disease caused by a virus called the polio virus. This virus enters the body orally, infecting the intestinal wall. It may also enter the bloodstream and get into the central nervous system, causing muscle weakness and often paralysis. Young children who contract polio may sometimes suffer only mild symptoms which can make it hard to diagnose the condition. People who have survived polio sometimes develop additional symptoms, notably muscle weakness and extreme fatigue, decades after the primary infection.
These symptoms are called post-polio syndrome. Fortunately, a safe and effective vaccine exists to protect people against polio. Many regions in the world have no cases or almost no cases any more, but polio is still a public health threat in some parts of Earth. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a very progressive and almost invariably fatal neurological disease. Experts have discovered that, in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons are affected and they degenerate and eventually die.
When this happens, muscles are unable to function, and they gradually weaken and waste away. More than 30, Americans have this disorder, and an estimated 5, cases of the disease are diagnosed in the United States per year.
Botulism represents a rare but serious paralytic disease caused by a nerve toxin called botulin, which is a poison produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum.
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