Physical

Physical Disabilities

Physical disability indicates any physical limitations or disabilities that inhibit the physical function of one or more limbs of a certain person. It can be temporary or permanent. The causes of this kind of disease are various. Any person can acquire it through accident, injury, illness post-surgery effects and heredity. Some examples of physical disability are:

  • Cerebral palsy
    • A group of disorders that impact a person's ability to move and maintain balance. Cerebral palsy is usually caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage that affects one's ability to control one's muscles. It is the most common motor disability present ar birth.
    • The symptoms of Cerebral palsy vary from person to person.
      • A person with severe CP may need to use special equipment to walk and lifelong care.
      • A person with mild CP may walk awkwardly but may not need special assistance.
    • Types of Cerebral palsy:
      • Spastic Cerebral Palsy
        • The most common type of CP. People with spastic CP usually suffer from muscle stiffness.
      • Spastic diplegia 
        •  Muscle stiffness is mainly in the legs, with the arms less affected or not affected at all
      • Spastic hemiplegia
        • Affect only one side of one's body. The arm is more affected than the leg.
      • Spastic quadriplegia
        • Affect our limbs, the trunk, and the face. People with spastic quadriplegia usually cannot walk and have other developmental disabilities such as intellectual disability and seizures.
  • Spinal cord injuries
    • Spina cord injury indicates the damages to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal. 
    • Result in permanent loss of strength, sensation, and function (mobility and feeling). 
    • Causes of spinal cord injury 
      • Trauma and diseases 
    • According to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading scale, spinal cord injury can be classified as the following categories. 
      • ASIA A: a complete spinal cord injury with no sensory or motor function preserved. 
      • ASIA B: a sensory incomplete injury with complete motor function loss.
      • ASIA C: a motor incomplete injury with some movement.
      • ASIA D: a motor incomplete injury with more than half of the muscle groups is anti-gravity.
      • ASIA E: normal 
  • Amputation 
    • Indicates removal of part of all of a body part that is enclosed by skin. 
    • Causes of Amputation:
      • accident 
      • animals attack 
      • warfare
      • surgery 
  • Spina bifida 
    • A birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord do not form properly. 
      • A type of neural tube defect. The neural tube forms early in pregnancy and closes by the 28th day after conception. Babies with Spina bifida do not have such progress and will suffer from this defect in the spinal and in the bones of the spine. 
    • Types of Spina bifida: 
      • Spina bifida occulta
        • It is the mildest and most common type. Many people who have spina bifida occulta do not even know it until they accept professional medical examinations. This type of SP usually does not have obvious symptoms.   
      • Myelomeningocele
        • aka "Open Spina Bifida" 
        • It is the most severe type. Typical Symptoms are listed below: 
          • The spinal canal is open along several vertebrae in the lower or middle back. 
          • Both the membranes and the spinal cord forming a sac. 
          • Tissues and nerves usually are exposed, though sometimes skin covers the sac.
  • Musculoskeletal injuries
    • Refer to the damage of muscular or skeletal systems, which is usually due to strenuous activities. They are the most common work-related injuries. Workers often engage in some frequent and repetitive works that require them to hold awkward postures while working and eventually cause the disease to develop.