What Is Hemiplegia?

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers | March 9, 2025 | Personal Injury

What Is Hemiplegia?

People who become severely injured due to someone else’s negligence are often left with life-altering conditions, of which paralysis is one of the most common. Studies estimate that as many as 5.6 million people in the U.S. — that’s one in 50 Americans — live with paralysis of some type.

Hemiplegia is one severe form of paralysis that can have a significant impact on a person’s daily life. Discover the causes, symptoms, and treatments for this condition and what those suffering from another’s actions can do to seek justice.

The Definition of Hemiplegia

Hemiplegia is a medical term referring to paralysis on one side of the body. It often affects the face, limbs, and extremities on the same side, but some patients experience it in just one of these areas. Those with this condition cannot voluntarily move or control the muscles on the affected side of the body. In cases of spastic hemiplegia, muscles may move uncontrollably.

There are two types of hemiplegia: congenital and acquired. Some hemiplegic patients are born with the condition, while others develop it later in life due to a traumatic injury.

The Causes of Hemiplegia

Hemiplegia’s root cause is a problem with the brain and spinal cord, which comprise the body’s central nervous system. When nerves are damaged due to injury (such as from a medical mistake or car accident), it interrupts the process of decussation, when nerves on opposite sides of the body cross over each other at the brainstem where the skull and spine connect.

These injuries can happen in several ways, including medical conditions that occur at birth or develop later in life, such as:

  • Cerebral palsy
  • Bell’s palsy
  • Seizures
  • Meningitis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Stroke 

However, be aware that the brain and spinal cord injuries that lead to hemiplegia can also be acquired due to car wrecks, slip and falls, concussions, drowning, choking, and blunt force trauma.

The Symptoms of Hemiplegia

Hemiplegia is a severe, life-altering condition that can have many different symptoms depending on the nature of the medical condition or injury. 

Some common symptoms that patients experience may include:

  • Muscle weakness or stiffness
  • Permanently contracted muscles
  • Difficulty walking, standing, or maintaining balance
  • Loss of fine motor skills
  • Tingling in the affected areas
  • Loss of bowel and bladder control
  • Breathing and speech issues

When a person develops hemiplegia due to a traumatic brain injury, they may also display behavioral or personality changes, have difficulty concentrating, lack spatial awareness, or experience seizures and memory loss. These symptoms are consistent with both conditions.

What Hemiplegic Treatments Are Available?

Treatments for hemiplegia vary based on the condition’s cause and the severity of symptoms. 

They often focus on physical rehab to help patients move better and complete tasks independently and may include:

  • Physiotherapy or occupational therapy designed to increase mobility, regain balance and coordination, and strengthen weak muscles
  • Modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) to constrain the stronger side and strengthen the weaker side by forcing it to compensate
  • Electrical stimulation, which uses electricity to activate and strengthen paralyzed muscles and increase neuroplasticity by rewiring the brain
  • Assistive devices, such as canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and braces, to improve mobility and muscular control

While some patients may recover, hemiplegia does not have an official cure, and many patients deal with some level of symptoms for the remainder of their lives. However, it is not considered a progressive disease, so symptoms don’t usually worsen over time.

How Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help Hemiplegic Patients

In many cases, both children and adults can experience hemiplegia as a result of medical malpractice or an incident caused by someone else’s violent or negligent behavior. In these situations, it’s crucial for victims to know their rights. This is where an attorney well-versed in personal injury cases can assist.

Hemiplegia is a lifelong condition that can significantly impact your life. With the help of the right personal injury attorney, you and your loved ones can learn what you need to know about recovering damages and figure out how to move forward with the legal process.

Contact the Personal Injury Law Firm of Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Today To Get More Information

If you’ve been injured in San Diego or Chula Vista, please call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer or contact us online.

We proudly serve San Diego County and throughout California.

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – San Diego Office
2515 Camino del Rio S Suite 350, San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 777-5555

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – Chula Vista Office
690 Otay Lakes Rd #130, Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 722-3032

We also serve the state of Texas. For legal assistance, contact our personal injury law office in El Paso today.

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – El Paso Office
201 E Main Suite 106, El Paso, Texas 79901
(915) 591-1000