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Muscle function loss
Alternate Names : Paralysis, Paresis, Loss of movement, Motor dysfunction
Home Care & Treatment
Sudden loss of muscle function is a medical emergency. Seek immediate medical help. After you have received medical treatment, your doctor may recommend some of the following measures: - Follow your prescribed therapy.
- If the nerves to your face or head are damaged, you may have difficulty chewing and swallowing or closing your eyes. In these cases, a soft diet may be recommended. You will also need some form of eye protection, such as a patch over the eye while you are asleep.
- Long-term immobility can cause serious complications. Change positions often and take care of your skin. Range-of-motion exercises may help to maintain some muscle tone.
- Splints may help prevent muscle contractures, a condition in which a muscle becomes permanently shortened.
Call your Health Care Provider if
Muscle paralysis always requires immediate medical attention. If you notice gradual weakening or problems with a muscle, get medical attention as soon as possible.
What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
The doctor will perform a physical examination and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, including: - Location
- What part(s) of the body are affected?
- Does it affect one or both sides of the body?
- Did it develop in a top-to-bottom pattern (descending paralysis), or a bottom-to-top pattern (ascending paralysis)?
- Do you have difficulty getting out of a chair or climbing stairs?
- Do you have difficulty lifting your arm above your head?
- Do you have problems extending or lifting your wrist (wrist drop)?
- Do you have difficulty gripping (grasping)?
- Symptoms
- Time pattern
- Do episodes occur repeatedly (recurrent)?
- How long do they last?
- Is the muscle function loss getting worse (progressive)?
- Is it progressing slowly or quickly?
- Does it become worse over the course of the day?
- Aggravating and relieving factors
- What, if anything, makes the paralysis worse?
- Does it get worse after you take potassium supplements by mouth?
- Is it better after you rest?
Tests that may be performed include: Intravenous feeding or feeding tubes may be required in severe cases. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy may be recommended.
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Review Date : 11/13/2008
Reviewed By : David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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