What is complete paraplegia?
Disease description:
My friend has completely lost sensation and mobility in the lower half of the body due to a car accident, and also has no control over urination or bowel movements. Is this condition paraplegia? What is complete paraplegia?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Zhiqin
Complete paraplegia is an extremely severe neurological disorder. It is usually caused by complete damage to the spinal cord at a specific level. In this condition, all sensory and motor functions below the level of injury are completely lost. Specifically, the patient cannot feel any touch, pain, or changes in temperature, nor can they voluntarily control muscle movements in the lower limbs or other affected areas.
Complete paraplegia can occur in different parts of the body, such as the neck, chest, waist, or sacral region, with the exact location depending on where the spinal cord injury actually occurs. If the injury is high up, such as in the neck, it can lead to more extensive functional impairments, including weakness of the respiratory muscles and possibly requiring mechanical ventilation to assist breathing. Injuries at lower levels mainly affect the function of the lower limbs and pelvic organs, such as control of the bladder and bowel.
The treatment of complete paraplegia primarily aims to restore the patient's maximum possible ability to live independently. Early rehabilitation is often required, involving specific training to maintain muscle strength and joint mobility, occupational therapy to help the patient re-adapt to work and daily life, as well as psychological support to alleviate the mental stress caused by the condition.
