What Is Hemiplegia?
If you were recently partially paralyzed after an accident, you might have heard your doctor use the word “hemiplegia.” That’s not a term most people hear every day, so you might be left to wonder, “What is hemiplegia?”
Hemiplegia is a form of paralysis that affects a single side of the body — the arm, leg, and sometimes even the face. It isn’t a disease on its own, but rather a result of something else, like a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or damage to the spinal cord. In Lancaster, this condition is seen in accident victims as well as individuals with serious medical events.
What Causes Hemiplegia?
Accidents are a leading cause of hemiplegia, especially those involving a head or spinal injury. Car crashes, falls, construction mishaps, and work incidents can all cause the kind of trauma that can lead to hemiplegia or other serious mobility impairments. Pedestrians are also at risk since they generally have little to no protection as they’re walking around the city.
Strokes are another major cause, and they happen when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts. Without oxygen, parts of the brain begin to shut down, and if the area that controls movement is affected, hemiplegia can follow.
Less common causes include brain infections, tumors, or congenital conditions like cerebral palsy. In some cases, surgery or complications during medical treatment might also play a role.
Types of Hemiplegia
Defining hemiplegia requires understanding that it can take on different forms. Some people are born with it, usually due to a brain development issue that happened before or during birth. That’s called congenital hemiplegia. Others develop it later in life. In these cases, it is known as acquired hemiplegia.
There’s also a difference between spastic and flaccid hemiplegia. Spastic means the muscles are tight and hard to move, while flaccid means they’re floppy and weak. Either way, the person loses full control over that side of their body.
Another type, alternating hemiplegia, occurs in episodes. It’s rare, but it shows how complicated this condition can be.
Effects on Daily Life
When you’re affected by hemiplegia, your lifestyle changes dramatically. Simple tasks like walking, eating, and getting dressed suddenly require a lot of effort or might not be possible without help. One side of the body can become weak or stiff, and movements can be jerky or not happen at all.
It often affects more than just mobility. People with hemiplegia might have trouble keeping their balance, coordinating their movements, and even communicating verbally. The brain controls all of these things through a complicated system of neurons and connections, and when something disrupts that, it can feel like the body refuses to cooperate.
Some people regain movement through physical therapy and time, but many others face long-term limitations and disability. It depends on what caused the condition and how severe the damage is. No two cases are exactly the same.
When Hemiplegia Becomes a Legal Issue
When someone develops hemiplegia after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, the situation becomes even more stressful. Besides the physical limitations, they deal with a heavy emotional and financial toll.
This raises some big questions. How did the injury happen? Could it have been avoided? Is someone else responsible? These are the kinds of issues that often lead people to seek legal answers with a personal injury claim.
It’s More Than a Medical Condition
Every case of hemiplegia tells a unique story. Behind the medical facts is a person just trying to adjust to a new normal, and the stakes are high, both in terms of recovery and in holding the right people accountable.
Contact The Lancaster Personal Injury Lawyers At Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys For Help Today
For more information, please contact our personal injury lawyers in South Carolina and North Carolina at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys to schedule a free consultation today.
We proudly serve York County, Lancaster County, and its surrounding areas in South Carolina:
Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Rock Hill
212 E Black St, Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 324-7574
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Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Lancaster
204 A S Main St, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 902-7065
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Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Fort Mill
1201 Carolina Pl Suite 102D, Fort Mill, SC 29708
(803) 902-4045
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Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Lake Wylie
264 Latitude Ln #102A, Lake Wylie, SC 29710
(803) 902-3608
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Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys York
6 N Congress St, York, SC 29745
(803) 902-7399
We also proudly serve Mecklenburg County and its surrounding areas in North Carolina:
Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Charlotte
1100 S Mint St #109, Charlotte, NC 28203
(980) 340-8620
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