Imagine a normal day in your life, then collapsing to the ground and rushed to the hospital. Lee Mitchell had suffered from a severe syndrome named Cauda Equina. This occurs when nerves in the human body are compressed inward towards the spinal column. Normally when this takes place it is noticed early through symptoms and can be easily and quickly treated. In her case it was sudden and there were no early symptoms. When Lee Mitchell was little she had done a lot of sports, such as horseback riding, swimming, and tennis. The doctor said that these sports might have had a negative effect on one of her disc in her spinal cord. Which could have resulted in Cauda Equaina.Lee Mitchell stayed in a rehab center. While she was there she made it her
Tommy Clement “Tommy” Douglas was born in Falkirk, Scotland on the 20 ͭ ͪ of October, 1904. In 1910, Tommy Douglas immigrated to Canada with his family. Shortly before he left Scotland, he fell and subsequently contracted osteomyelitis, a type of bone infection. His family was too poor to afford the expensive operations that he had to undergo to cure his leg. Miraculously, the doctor that the Douglas family hired offered to operate on him for free as long as they would allow the doctor’s students to observe the operation. The Douglas family accepted the offer. The doctor performed a series of operations that would save his leg, but an unfortunate side effect might make it so that he would never bend his leg again. To great surprise, Tommy was able to bend the leg right after the operation with the cry of, “I can bend my leg!” That leg served him well for 30 years to come. Nine years later, Tommy started an amateur career in boxing. Three years later, at the age of 18, Tommy fought his way to the title of “Lightweight Champion of Manitoba.” He managed to defend his title for one more year, 1923. This also helped him finance his future college or university education.
Dr. Murray, the chief resident who arrived around 8:00pm, charted Lewis’ heart rate as normal and noteds a probable ileus; however, nursing documentation at the same time recorded a heart rate of 126 beats per minute (Monk, 2002). Subsequent heart rates at midnight and 4:00am arewere charted as 142 and 140 beats per minute respectively without documented intervention (Monk, 2002 ). On Monday morning Lewis noted that his pain suddenly stopped after being very constant and staff charted that they were unable to get a blood pressure recording in either arm or leg from 8:30-10:15am despite trying multiple machines (Monk, 2002; Solidline Media, 2010).
Downing uses the strength from her competitive athlete days to help her learn to live with paralysis on her own terms. From an early age, the author became involved in sports, competing on the swim team, diving and gymnastics; however, in her early twenties cycling became her beloved sport of choice. During a conversation with her physical therapist, Downing quickly found out the hardest part of her injury is
Flaccid dysarthria results from damage to the lower motor neurons (LMN) or the peripheral nervous system (Hageman, 1997). The characteristics of flaccid dysarthria generally reflect damage to cranial nerves with motor speech functions (e.g., cranial nerves IX, X, XI and XII) (Seikel, King & Drumright, 2010). Lower motor neurons connect the central nervous system to the muscle fibers; from the brainstem to the cranial nerves with motor function, or from the anterior horns of grey matter to the spinal nerves (Murdoch, 1998). If there are lesions to spinal nerves and the cranial nerves with motor speech functions, it is indicative of a lower motor neuron lesion and flaccid dysarthria. Damage to lower motor neurons that supply the speech muscles is also known as bulbar palsy (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Potential etiologies of flaccid dysarthria include spinal cord injury, cerebrovascular accidents, tumors or traumatic brain injury (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Possible congenital etiologies of flaccid dysarthria include Moebius syndrome and cerebral palsy. Flaccid dysarthria can also arise from infections such as polio, herpes zoster, and secondary infections to AIDS (Pena-Brooks & Hedge, 2007). Additionally, demyelinating diseases such as Guilian-Barre syndrome and myotonic muscular dystrophy can also lead to flaccid dysarthria (Pena-Brookes & Hedge, 2007). The lower motor neuron lesion results in loss of voluntary muscle control, and an inability to maintain muscle tone. Fasciculations, or twitching movements, may occur if the cell body is involved in the lesion (Seikel et. al., 2010). The primary speech characteristics of flaccid dysarthria include imprecise consonant production, hypernasal resonance, breathiness, and harsh voice (...
Freddie Steinmark was one of the toughest football players to ever play the sport. He was one of the smartest kids in his high school class. Freddie’s dad pushed him to be the best he can be. He had struggled with a mysterious pain in his left leg. Many people have battled the same disease as Freddie but not a single soul could deal with it the same way as Freddie.
Shute, Nancy. "Spinal Implant Spurs Motion In Paralyzed Man : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 20 May 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. .
On admission, a complete physical assessment was performed along with a blood and metabolic panel. The assessment revealed many positive and negative findings. J.P. was positive for dyspnea and a productive cough. She also was positive for dysuria and hematuria, but negative for flank pain. After close examination of her integumentary and musculoskeletal system, the examiner discovered a shiny firm shin on the right lower extremity with +2 edema complemented by severe pain. A set of baseline vitals were also performed revealing a blood pressure of 124/80, pulse of 87 beats per minute, oxygen saturation of 99%, temperature of 97.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and respiration of 12 breaths per minute. The blood and metabolic panel exposed several abnormal labs. A red blood cell count of 3.99, white blood cell count of 22.5, hemoglobin of 10.9, hematocrit of 33.7%, sodium level of 13, potassium level of 3.1, carbon dioxide level of 10, creatinine level of 3.24, glucose level of 200, and a BUN level of 33 were the abnormal labs.
... damaged neurons. (Mayo clinic, 2014). This is called neuroplasticity, the ability for the nerves to compensate for damage caused by some outside force. Because of neuroplasticity physical training works to cure some of the paralysis left by the virus and allows us to walk again after the legs or another appendage is deformed or damaged.
Rest was used as a cure for neurasthenia, but did it really work? "The Yellow Wallpaper" explores the concept of rest cure therapy and its effectiveness on a woman patient. The best-known doctor for treating neurasthenia was a highly regarded neurologist named Silas Weir Mitchell (Kivo 8). Women from all over the world traveled to the United States to be treated by Silas Weir Mitchell (5). Rest cure therapy included secluding the patient from family and friends and complete physical and intellectual rest (5). Many women who followed Mitchell's treatment plan returned to their families cured, but there were some women whose symptoms became worse after being treated by Mitchell or after being restricted to bed rest.
Kayla Montgomery is an 18 year old girl from North Carolina. When she was little she often liked to be active as she played soccer. However, at age 14, her life took a turn for the worst. At the age of 14, Montgomery started to notice that she was having a tingling feeling in her toes and that she was starting to lose feeling in her legs. Sadly, Kayla was diagnosed at 14 with Multiple Sclerosis. A once so physically active young girl was now faced with not being able to walk in the future.
It is important to distinguish between Bell’s Palsy and strokes, because most people who experience Palsy at first believe they have gone through some kind of stroke (3). This is understandable, as many of the symptoms are similar, if not identical, but most of the time those with Bell’s Palsy will recover almost immediately, within a matter of weeks (4). George Clooney and Pierce Brosnan, two of the world’s most famously handsome actors, both suffered from Bell’s Palsy in their younger years (5), and if their movies and celebrity status are any indications, they have both made full recoveries. Moreover, Bell’s Palsy is the most common kind of facial paralysis, common enough that 1 in 60 people will experience it at some point, and 40,000 Americans experience it per year (6); these facts I discovered were useful in taking care of my mother and reassuring her that all will be well.
Hemiparesis that affects the peroneal nerve preventing dorsiflexors muscles from lifting the toes up when walking causes the toes to drag, impairing gait. Hemiparesis can also affect the knee flexor and extensor muscles which are important for “shock absorption, assisting with foot clearance and balance control” (Sadeghi, H. et al., 2002, p. 51). Physical therapists know that poor gait can affect the pelvis, lower back, spine and neck as the body tries to compensate for unilateral weakness of the lower limbs. The sooner a patient can achieve normal gait the less likely they are to suffer permanent damage and the quicker they can return to their normal lives and activity levels.
Quadriplegia is caused by an injury to the spinal cord and results in paralysis of the entire body below the neck. In the novel Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes, Will Traynor suffers from quadriplegia after an accident that changes his life immensely. Will struggles with his new life and fails to see the point in continuing his life. Many people develop depression when enduring a sudden, life changing event that impacts their lives in an extreme and negative way. Currently, the rate of accommodations for people who endure a long term illness, including the victims of quadriplegia, are increasing. The underlying repercussions of quadriplegia, caused by the limiting lifestyle it triggers, vastly changes many lives and leaves an abundance of quadriplegics with uncertainty about living. The emotional, psychological, and physical border crossings from the novel Me Before You connect with real, existing issues in today’s society.
On October 30, 2014, I was on my way home from a construction project in Columbus, MS. Halfway through the trip, due to unfortunate circumstances, I was involved in a very serious car accident. My vehicle flipped multiple times before finally coming to a stop, on it’s roof. I knew almost immediately that I was hurt really bad but I didn’t know the full extent of my injuries until I was airlifted to the nearest trauma center. This was my first experience with paralysis; specifically tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia. This is a debilitating condition but life is still worth living.
17 year old Carley Sturges’ head was pounding. She knew something wasn’t right. Earlier that day at her lacrosse tournament, she was struck with a lacrosse stick across the temple. She had fallen down but didn’t black out. She finished playing the tournament. For the next two and a half months, she slept a lot, mumbled, and couldn’t carry on a conversation with others.