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Poliomyelitis

Also know more commonly as polio or infantile paralysis, poliomyelitis is an acute viral infection which targets the Central Nervous System (CNS) of the human body and destroys the motor neurons, and thus resulting in the gradually weakening limbs and digressing muscular activity. Therefore, individuals infected with polio often need to use a cane stick to support them in movement or even a wheelchair during the intermediate stages of the disease.

This disease has more or less been eradicated in most More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) such as US, South America, Europe and the majority of Asia.

However, with some rare exceptions of polio cases in this era and majority of the polio cases contracted during the 1950s, polio can still be alleged as a evident disease in our society.

 

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is the name given to a wide range of conditions affecting the nervous system, which adversely affects the body’s stance and movement. This can lead to physical disabilities.

Spasticity, the most common kind of cerebral palsy, is caused by damage to the motor cortex, the part of the brain controlling involuntary movement. Paraplegia (loss of function of lower body), together with monoplegia (loss of function of a single limb) and triplegia (loss of function of 3 limbs), are subsets of spasticity.

Athetoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy manifests itself in involuntary movements, and a difficulty to maintain upright postures. This is a result of damage to the part of the motor cortex coordinating movement, and/or passageways transmitting signals through the nerves. These 2 types of cerebral palsy are the second most common.

Ataxia cerebral palsy, the rarest of all, is caused by damage to the cerebellum, the sector of the brain that coordinates movement and sensory perception. This results in difficulty with balance which leads to problems with walking. Basic psychomotor skills, like writing or manipulating tools, can be affected.

People with cerebral palsy may show abnormal bone growth, or joint deformities. This is the result of unusual movements and subsequent stress levels on bones brought about by cerebral palsy.

The cause of cerebral palsy is still not yet known, with no conclusive results.

There is currently no complete cure for cerebral palsy. However, proper therapy and medication can ease the pain and relax the muscles in patients. Wheelchairs can help increase mobility greatly for people with severe walking impairments.

 

Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a muscle disease which results in the gradual weakening and degeneration of skeletal muscles. These muscles, attached to the skeleton, are responsible for movement. This is caused by defective muscle protein and also the loss of muscle tissue. Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease.

Muscular dystrophy is characterized by a progressive process of muscular wasting. There is difficulty balancing and walking, and there can be muscle pains. In its more severe manifestations, the person’s limb movements may be impaired completely, forcing the use of a wheelchair. In some types of muscular dystrophy, the cardiac muscles around and within the heart may be affected.

There is no known cure for this disease. Like other muscular diseases, strengthening of the muscles and the muscular-skeletal dynamic is key to alleviating its symptoms. Inactivity of muscles can exacerbate the situation, and physiotherapy, which promotes muscular movement, can help treat the symptoms.

 

Stroke

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted, and brain function is lost, resulting in unconsciousness. The damaging secondary effect of a stroke is the death or damage to brain cells after a loss of oxygen and glucose. It is the leading cause of disabilities in adults in the United States and also in some European regions. It is estimated that there is a stroke occurring in the world every 45 seconds, and a person dies from it every 3 minutes. A stroke can cause a range of disabilities. The likelihood of a person getting a stroke increases exponentially after the age of 30.

People at risk of stroke include persons of advanced age, smokers, heavy drinkers, diabetics, and people with high blood pressure. Sickle-cell anaemia, a disease which causes cells in the blood to clot up, can potentially cause strokes. If brain cells from the motor cortex are affected by the stroke, movement can be impaired.

Swift response is critical to saving stroke patients. Even after symptoms have seemingly dissipated, professional medical assistance should be sought as quickly as possible, as brain damage could already be ongoing. However, prevention is always better than cure, as the brain damage suffered during a stroke, and its subsequent conditions can be permanent.