Therapy of a paraplegia
In the case of complete paraplegia, the surgical treatment options are often limited. For example, broken vertebrae can be treated surgically to prevent further damage to the spinal cord. It may also be useful to remove part of the vertebral arch if there is a risk of swelling of the spinal cord.
Particularly in the acute phase of paraplegia, also known as spinal shock, it is important that the cardiovascular system is closely monitored and stabilized. This usually has to be done in an intensive care unit. It is also crucial that patients lying down are frequently repositioned, as this is the only way to prevent pressure sores from developing on the skin as a result of lying down for long periods.
Frequently there are also disturbances in the arbitrary emptying of the bladder or bowels. The patients are often treated with a bladder catheter. Patients need medication that stimulates intestinal activity.
Already during the inpatient stay rehabilitation measures must be started to counteract stiffening of the joints. After the inpatient stay, a rehabilitation measure in a specialized center follows. On the one hand the patient receives physiotherapeutic and occupational therapy support. The focus is also on coping with everyday life and maintaining independence.
What is the cure for paraplegia?
Paraplegia, in which a complete severing of the nerve fibers in the spinal cord has occurred, is not curable according to the current state of science. However, there are promising approaches in medical research concerning the regeneration of severed nerve fibers. These are mostly still being researched in animal experiments.
Occasional clinical studies with small numbers of patients have already been conducted. However, it remains to be seen to what extent these ideas will lead to a relevant improvement in the function of the affected patient. Moreover, it will take a long time before these research results can be routinely implemented in patients.
Whether paraplegia will ever be curable is not foreseeable, even with promising research approaches, according to the current state of science. The prognosis of paraplegia also depends on its cause. If the symptoms have developed gradually in the course of a disease, muscle function can in some cases even be completely restored by early therapy, since parts of the nerves are still intact.
However, if the spinal cord is completely severed, as is usually the case after an accident, the damage is irreversible. Since paraplegia is most often the result of an accident, one should follow the rules and always behave cautiously in road traffic, and also pay attention to wearing appropriate protective clothing both here (as a motorcyclist, for example) and during extreme sports. In order to prevent a slipped disc, one should always try not to expose the spine to excessive strain.
Paraplegia, or better: the paraplegia syndrome, is most often the result of an accident in which the spinal cord is injured. The consequences are disorders of motor, sensory and vegetative functions, which affect a different part of the body depending on the location of the injury.Patients are usually dependent on a wheelchair and have to relearn many previously self-evident activities of daily life, since once the spinal cord has been severed, it cannot be reversed. Further interesting information from this field of neurology: An overview of all previously published topics from the field of neurology can be found at Neurology A-Z.
- Paraplegia Healing
- Paraplegia symptoms
- Spinal cord inflammation
- Nervous System
- Nerve damage
- Brain
- Spinal cord
- Epidural bleeding
- Cervical Myelopathy
