Paralysis is a loss of nerve function or muscle power resulting in an inability to move. When nerve cells in the brain or other parts of the body are damaged by injury or disease, the body parts controlled by those nerve or brain cells do not function.
The damage may cause mild or severe loss of function and may be temporary or permanent. The degree of paralysis depends on:
|Primary Medical Reviewer||William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine|
|Specialist Medical Reviewer||H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine|
|Current as of||March 12, 2014|
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise