Hemiplegia Treatments – Definition, symptoms and treatments

The symptoms of hemiplegia depend on where the injury to the spine has occurred. Further, the symptoms also depend on the intensity of injury. Symptoms of hemiplegia depend on which side of the spinal cord or brain has been damaged. In general symptoms usually occur on the side opposite the injury. The symptoms of hemiplegia include:
-Complete paralysis of one whole side of the body involving the face, arms and legs
- Difficulty with speech and understanding speech
- Trouble eating and swallowing food
- Trouble walking or standing
- Difficulty maintaining an upright posture when sitting
- Trouble maintaining balance with eyes closed
- Having trouble seeing including blurred vision
- having trouble maintaining bladder control
- Bowel continence
- having diminished sensation of pain, temperature or touch
- Confusion, loss of memory or lack of concentration
- Mood alterations including frustration, anger and anxiety
- Depression
Not all the above symptoms occur at the same time in all patients with hemiplegia. Once hemiplegia is long standing, other complications include development of blood clots in the leg, atrophy of muscle from disuse, bed sores and joint contractures.

The treatment of hemiplegia is geared towards trying to develop maximum function of the paralyzed body. To prevent complications, the individual is placed on blood thinners to ensure that blood clots do not form. The primary therapy for individuals who have paralysis include entering a program of physical and occupational therapy. Those individuals who can’t speak may need to undergo speech therapy and learn how to speak, write and understand speech. Physical therapy is vital and may include daily living activities to keep the muscles stimulated and prevent joint contractures. Some individuals may benefit from anti spasmodic drugs to relieve muscle spasms. Sometimes the surgeon may have to relieve joint contractures to relieve the deformity from prolonged spasticity.
Other treatments include wearing braces and splints. Individuals who have seizures may require anti seizure medications.
Today a number of surgeons inject Botox to help relieve painful muscle spasms in children. Botox does work but its actions are short lived and repeat injections are necessary. When the back is completely broken after a motor vehicle accident, the surgeon may use a rod to stabilize the back. This surgery is not difficult but is only done to support the back and does not cure the paralysis. Some individuals may have difficulty breathing or eating and may require an artificial tube in the neck to breathe (tracheostomy) or a tube in the stomach for feeding (G-tube).

Finally, there are some individuals who have complete paralysis and will not benefit from any of these therapies. These individuals may need a special bed to help prevent pressure sores and assist in upper body using arm bars. There are hundreds of alternative care treatments for hemiplegia which include use of herbs, acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation and health supplements. The majority of these alternative treatments just offer false promises and border on scams. If you do decide to use any such treatment, discuss this with your physician first. There have been instances where more harm has been caused from these treatments, plus they are also expensive.
While there is no cure for Hemiplegia, the available conventional medical treatments do make a big difference in quality of life style when started early.

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