Paralysis is defined as loss of muscle function or complete loss of total strength in part of your body. Stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis are few most common causes of paralysis. Paralysis may be partial or complete, generalized or localized,temporary or it may be permanent; it can be (partial) one sided (hemiplegia) or it can affect whole body (generalized). Paralysis of lower half of body is termed as paraplegia while paralysis of both arms and both legs is termed as quadriplegia. While in bell’s palsy facial muscles and facial nerve is involved.

How it occurs? Normally the  muscle function requires intact connections all along the motor pathway (motor pathway is a chain of nerve cells that runs from the brain through the spinal cord out to the muscle) . Damage at any point in the motor pathway reduces the brain’s ability to control the muscle’s movements. This reduced efficiency causes weakness, also called paresis. Complete loss of communication lead to failing of any willed movement at all. This lack of control is called paralysis. Certain inherited abnormalities in muscle cause periodic paralysis, in which the weakness comes and goes.

Paralysis is easy to identify. Patient will have lose feeling in a specific or widespread area of body. Sometimes, before total paralysis sets in a tingling or numbing sensation can occur. Paralysis can also make it difficult or impossible for the individual to control muscles in the affected body parts.

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT

Rhus tox works well if paralysis is of rheumatic origin. It is well suited for paralysis of lower limbs. There is marked stiffness of limbs and complaints aggravate by getting wet or exposure to damp wet weather. While causticum and cadmium sulph are highly indicated for facial paralysis i.e; bell’s palsy. Gelsemium is indicated for those cases where paralysis occurs due to emotions. However , plumbum met suits to those who have paralysis of extensors, also there is paralysis with atrophy. It affects upper limbs more as compare to lower limbs. Alumina is indicated for paralysis of spinal origin. While phosphorus calls for the paralysis due to degeneration of nervous cells. Arnica and belladonna works well for paralysis due to stroke. Lachesis shows wonderful results in hemiplegia. Lathyrus, picric acid, stannum are few more medicines which when indicated can make a paralytic patient move.