Is paralysis always a permanent condition?
An automobile crash or an accident in an industrial workplace can inflict any number of devastating injuries. Some injuries may cause you to lose muscle control in parts of your body, a condition known as paralysis. The common perception is that few people recover from paralysis, but in some cases paralysis does not last forever.
Paralysis can be permanent or temporary, so in some situations paralysis victims may seek treatment that helps them to recover all their lost motion functions. SpinalCord.com explains that whether a person experiences only temporary paralysis depends a lot on the cause of the condition.
Temporary paralysis
There are different types of temporary paralysis. People may lose and regain muscle function in parts of the body because of weakness of the muscles, a disease, or a hereditary cause. A traumatic experience can also cause temporary paralysis. Periodic paralysis happens when your muscles have occasional episodes of weakness.
Permanent paralysis
With permanent paralysis, even if you receive treatment and therapy, you stand a very small chance of restoring motor functions you have lost. While causes of permanent paralysis vary, it most commonly happens because of strokes, spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis. Medical malpractice can also result in a permanent loss of motor function.
The difference in paralysis causes
The general main cause of permanent paralysis is an injury to the body, most commonly to the brain or the spinal cord. If you have only temporary paralysis, odds are it is because of a disease or a hereditary condition. This means a severe injury in a car accident or on the job is more likely to expose you to permanent loss of motor function, although a disease or infection stemming from an accident could also result in a temporary form of paralysis.
