If youre paralyzed can you feel

My actual damage in my spinal cord is at the C5-C7 level. I have movement and sensation in my arms and hands, but they muscles get very weak when I am sick or tired. I have spotty sensation through my upper torso and have upper muscles that also get weak if I am sick or tired. I am an incomplete and am diagnostically classified as a TI0 because that is the level that I have no sensation or hardly any movement from that level down.

Many chest and abdominal muscles that help with your breathing [that you never even think about] will be affected by paralysis.

In higher cervical levels, the muscles are so completely paralyzed that a ventilator is required to push the air in and out for the person. In lower levels, and depending on the degree of paralysis, your weaker muscles can breathe for you. Coughing is very hard because your cough reflex is affected.

Coughing is very important to clear our throats and keep our lungs clear. This is why paralyzed people have a much higher risk for pneumonia. Many of you who know me, know I love to sing. I can still sing but the amount of air I can hold, or how long I can hold out a note, has been compromised. I just cannot get a deep enough breath to hold out long notes.

I do not notice a difference when I am just breathing regularly, but if I try to take in a deep breathe, it takes a lot of work. I can cough but I cannot get a hard cough out. Every level is different. I have upper muscles but they are weak.

Once again, when I am sick or tired, everything gets weaker. Like anything weak, exercise is the best thing. Getting activity where I have to breath harder, and singing are great exercises for my weak respiratory muscles.

Many of us are on disability obviously because we are paralyzed, but there is more to it than that. Anytime the central nervous system has been compromised, you tire out very quickly. That is why when you suffer from a concussion, you want to sleep. A stroke, a brain injury, a severe concussion, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord damage…these are all things that affect the central nervous system. If you were to hike uphill all day long, you would reach the top exhausted.

The time it takes you to reach a level of exhaustion happens very quickly for us. A day out for me, which is so wonderful, would be equivalent to you taking 3 days in a row of non-stop activity. To me, this is one of the most frustrating parts of paralysis. I love to be busy and active and my body just will not let me.

I try so hard and it wins. Learning to budget my energy has been the thing that I cannot seem to figure out. I am doing better, but I always think I am the Energizer bunny or something. In reality, I am a cheap brand. These less severe spinal cord injuries tend to provide fewer symptoms as time goes on , since decreased swelling as the injury heals can improve overall functioning.

The best predictor of the type of paralysis you will have is the location of your injury. Injuries in the cervical spinal cord almost inevitably produce the full paralysis symptoms associated with quadriplegia. The higher your injury is, the more extensive the paralysis will be, and the worse the prognosis will become.

Lower injuries commonly produce paraplegia. Paraplegia can be unpredictable, and the prognosis is generally better with this type of paralysis. You might, for example, regain some functioning below the site of the injury, or only experience intermittent difficulties with movement.

While this outcome can inspire some hope, it's important to note that the most common paraplegia prognosis is still full paralysis below the waist. Partial paralysis due to very low spinal cord injuries is much more unpredictable. Talk to your doctor about your expected prognosis, and ask if there's anything you can do to improve outcomes. Physical therapy for all forms of paralysis can work wonders, since it teaches your brain and spinal cord to work around injuries, and can even promote neuron healing over time.

You've probably heard about formerly paralyzed people who got up and walked one day. While this is certainly possible, it is far from common. Most people with a SCI will remain paralyzed, though the extent and effects of that paralysis may change over time. These changes are rarely miraculous, and more typically involving small improvements in functioning gained as a result of a dogged commitment to physical therapy.

Some factors that can affect your prognosis over time include:. Only your doctor can predict the outcome most likely in your case, and even then, doctors are sometimes wrong. One thing is certain: a positive but realistic outlook can spur you to keep working toward recovery, and this commitment to improved health may improve your prognosis. That depends on the cause of the paralysis, but generally at least one of the following factors is in play: The brain is unable to relay a signal to an area of the body due to injuries to the brain.

The brain is able to sense touch and other sensations in the body, but is unable to effectively relay a response due to injuries in the spinal cord. The brain can neither send nor receive signals to an area of the body due to injuries in the spinal cord. How Does Someone Become Paralyzed? Types of Paralysis In reality, there are many types of paralysis because there are innumerable ways that the body can be injured.

Monoplegia What is Monoplegia? What Causes Monoplegia? Though cerebral palsy is the leading cause of monoplegia, a number of other injuries and ailments can lead to this form of partial paralysis, including: Strokes Tumors Nerve damage due to injuries or diseases Nerve impingement Motor neuron damage Brain injuries Impacted or severed nerves at the affected location Monoplegia is sometimes a temporary condition, and is especially common in the aftermath of a stroke or brain injury. Hemiplegia What is Hemiplegia?

What Causes Hemiplegia? Paraplegia What is Paraplegia? What Causes Paraplegia? Some other causes include: Spinal cord infections Spinal cord lesions Brain tumors Brain infections Rarely, nerve damage at the hips or waist; this more typically causes some variety of monoplegia or hemiplegia. Brain or spinal cord oxygen deprivation due to choking, surgical accidents, violence, and similar causes. Stroke Congenital malformations in the brain or spinal cord Read more about paraplegia.

Quadriplegia What is Quadriplegia? What Causes Quadriplegia? Other sources of quadriplegia include: Acquired brain injuries due to infections, stroke, and other disease-related processes. Loss of oxygen to the brain and spinal cord due to choking, anesthesia-related accidents, anaphylactic shock, and some other causes. Spinal and brain lesions Spinal and brain tumors Spinal and brain infections Catastrophic nerve damage throughout the body Congenital abnormalities Early brain injuries, especially pre-birth or during-birth injuries that lead to cerebral palsy, which can produce a range of symptoms, including varying degrees of paralysis Allergic reactions to drugs Drug or alcohol overdoses Read more about quadriplegia.

Published Accessed May 14, Paraparesis or incomplete paraplegia? How should we call it? Published April Directory of Model Systems. It can have lots of different causes, some of which can be serious. Depending on the cause, it may be temporary or permanent. The main symptom of paralysis is the inability to move part of your body, or not being able to move at all.

They may refer you to a hospital specialist for more tests if they're unsure what's causing your symptoms.