It is an inability to move one or more muscles. It is the result of damage to the nervous system.

The most common causes
• Trauma : particularly to the nervous system or the brain.
• Certain diseases : poliomyelitis, Hypertension, IHD (ischemic heart disease), Diabetes, Pregnancy induced blood pressure, Peripheral vascular diseases (thrombus, emboli ), peroneal dystrophy, spina bifida, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Bell’s palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and multiple sclerosis • Poisons: Botulism, paralytic shellfish poisoning, Snake venom, lead poison.
• Certain medications
• Certain surgeries

• Some causes of sudden paralysis include:

• Stroke
• Transient ischemic attack
• Head injury
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Hysteria
• Spinal cord injury
• Arterial blockage

• Some causes of slow-onset paralysis include:

• Nerve compression
• Nerve entrapment
• Tumors
• Brain tumor
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Motor neurone disease
• Poliomyelitis

• Psychological disorders that may cause paralysis type symptoms include:

• Parasomnias
• Depersonalization disorders

• Causes of specific types of paralysis depend on the location:

• See facial paralysis
• Other types of symptoms that may be similar to paralysis symptoms or imprecisely described as paralysis include:

• Catatonic
• Parasthesias
• Tingling symptoms
• Weakness
• Muscle weakness

Common Causes: Paralysis symptoms

Some of the possible common medical causes of Paralysis symptoms may include:

• Diabetes mellitus
• Chronic nerve root compression
• Radiculopathy
• Spinal arthritis
• Disc diseases
• Hypothyroidism
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Trauma
• Crush injuries
• Heavy metals
• Arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Polyarteritis nodosa
• Sjogren's syndrome
• Lead poisoning
• Mercury poisoning
• Chemotherapy
• Antibioticsmalignancy

Other Causes: Paralysis symptoms

Some of the less common causes of Paralysis symptoms may include:
• Stroke
• TIA
• Multiple sclerosis
• Lyme disease
• Porphyria
• Charcot Marie Tooth disease
• Denny Brown syndrome
• HIV
• Leprosy
• Alcoholism
• Malnutrition
• Buerger's disease
• Tabes dorsalis
• Hyperventilation syndrome
• Arteiosclerosis obliterans

The following are some of the symptoms of Paralysis:
Localized: which means it only affects a small area of the person’s body.
Generalized (global paralysis): Entire body (stroke)
Unilateral: only one side of a person’s body is affected
Bilateral: both sides.
Person may only experience weakness on one side of his or her body. Medically, this is known as hemiplegia.
Person who experiences trauma in his or her upper spinal cord may develop quadriplegia (is unable to move his or her arms and legs.)
Injury to the lower spinal cord may cause paraplegia, which results in either the legs or the arms becoming paralyzed.
Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor.
Pseudoparalysis (pseudo- meaning false, not genuine) is voluntary restriction or inhibition of motion because of pain, incoordination, or other cause, and is not due to actual muscular paralysis. In an infant, it may be a symptom of congenital syphilis.

There should be first evaluation of cause and the diagnosis of paralysis. Then the management of its treatment is planned. Most often it is medical and physiotherapy and in some cases surgeries.