Hemiplegia is a condition in which there is paralysis on one side of the body, which directly interferes with the person's quality of life, and should be treated quickly by means of physiotherapy, mainly.
Hemiplegia may be the result of problems during pregnancy (congenital hemiplegia) or be the result of a stroke or infections that affect the nervous system (acquired hemiplegia). Learn more about hemiplegia.
Cerebral palsy is not considered a disease and, as a rule, it does not have progressive characteristics, which means that the patient always has the same difficulties due to the region of the brain affected by the paralysis, and the brain injury tends not to evolve.
Types of hemiplegia
According to the symptoms and their severity, hemiplegia can be classified into 4 main types:
1. Spastic
In spastic hemiplegia, the muscles become stiff and weak and the person has difficulty speaking and moving. Children with this type of hemiplegia usually have joint deformities, as there is no correct muscle development.
2. Coreoatetoid
In this type of hemiplegia, the muscles move spontaneously, slowly, uncontrolled and have a sudden onset.
3. ataxic
Ataxic hemiplegia is a type of cerebral palsy that causes the patient to have poor coordination and unsafe movements of the trunk and limbs, in addition to muscle weakness and tremors.
4. Mixed
In cerebral palsy classified as mixed, symptoms of more than one type of the aforementioned paralyzes are present in a single patient, usually combined spastic and choreoatetoid paralysis.
What to do
In the first symptoms of cerebral palsy of any kind, it is important to go to the doctor so that the diagnosis can be made and the best form of treatment can be indicated.
Treatment is carried out with the aim of improving the person's quality of life, and physiotherapy is usually recommended to improve limb mobility, make the person more independent to perform daily activities, improve posture and avoid contractures. See how physical therapy for hemiplegia is done.
