What is the Difference Between Plegia and Paresis

Muscle weakness is one of the most common symptoms in people experiencing muscle problems. Plegia and paresis are two conditions that cause muscle weakness. These conditions can be treated with medications and therapies.

The key difference between plegia and paresis is their extent. Plegia refers to the complete inability to perform any movement, while paresis refers to the reduction in muscle strength with a limited range of voluntary movement.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Plegia
3. What is Paresis
4. Similarities – Plegia and Paresis
5. Plegia vs Paresis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Plegia vs Paresis
7. FAQ – Plegia and Paresis

What is Plegia?

Plegia, also known as complete paralysis, is a condition that causes complete inability to perform any movement. It is also known as complete paralysis of one or more muscles. It is caused by nerve damage in the upper motor neurons or lower motor neurons through bleeding, infection, inflammation, excessive pressure, cuts, and conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, infantile cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, herniated disc, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tumors.

The symptoms of this condition may include the inability to move the affected part of the body, a steady loss of feeling and muscle control, muscle cramps and tingling or numbness in the limbs, difficulty breathing, blood clots, speech or swallowing problems, depression, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, excessively high blood pressure, urinary incontinence, and pressure injuries.

Plegia can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, X-ray, CT scan, MRI, myelogram, electromyogram (EMG), and spinal tap. Furthermore, treatment options for plegia may include pain relief medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, usage of adaptive equipment, usage of assistive equipment, usage of orthotic/prosthetic devices, and voice-activated technology.

What is Paresis?

Paresis is a condition of weakened muscle movement. However, people with this condition still have some control over the affected muscles. Paresis is due to nerve damage caused by a variety of factors and conditions such as head injury, spinal cord injury, pressures on the spinal cord or nerves, stroke,  seizures, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, certain infections, Epstein Barr infection, Gullian Barre syndrome, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include muscle weakness, muscle stiffness, a tingling feeling, and decreased sensation in the affected area.

Paresis can be diagnosed through medical history and physical examination. Furthermore, treatment options for paresis may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, assistive devices such as walkers, wheelchairs, grab bars, specialized handles and grips, voice-activated technology, and medications like antimicrobial medications and corticosteroids.

Similarities Between Plegia and Paresis

• Plegia and paresis are two conditions of muscle weakness.
• They can cause problems when moving the body parts.
• Both are caused by nerve damage.
• They can be diagnosed through medical history and physical examination.
• They can be treated through specific medications and therapies.

Difference Between Plegia and Paresis

Definition

1. Plegia is a condition that causes complete inability to perform any movement.
2. Paresis is a condition that causes incomplete or partial inability to perform any movement.

Causes

1. Plegia is caused by nerve damage in the upper motor neurons or lower motor neurons through bleeding, infection, inflammation, excessive pressure, cuts and conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, infantile cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, herniated disc, carpel tunnel syndrome, tumors.
2. Paresis is caused due to the nerve damage caused by a variety of factors and conditions such as head injury, spinal cord injury, pressures on the spinal cord or nerves, stroke, seizures, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, certain infections, Epstein Barr infection, Gullian Barre syndrome and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Symptoms

1. Plegia symptoms include inability to move the affected part of the body, a steady loss of feeling and muscle control, muscle cramps and tingling or numbness in the limbs, difficulty breathing, blood clots, speech or swallowing problems, depression, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, excessive high blood pressure, urinary incontinence, pressure injuries.
2. Paresis symptoms include muscle weakness, muscle stiffness, a tingling feeling and decreased sensation in the affected area.

Diagnosis

1. Plegia can be diagnosed by medical history, physical examination, X-ray, CT scan, MRI, myelogram, electromyogram (EMG) and spinal tap.
2. Paresis can be diagnosed by medical history and physical examination.

Treatment

1. Treatement for plegia include pain relief medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, usage of adaptive equipment, usage of assistive equipment, usage of orthotic/prosthetic devices, voice and activated technology.
2. Treatement for paresis include physical therapy, occupational therapy, assistive devices such as walkers, wheel chairs, grab bars specialized handles and grips and voice activated technology and medications like antimicrobial medications, corticosteroids.

The following table summarizes the difference between plegia and paresis.

Summary – Plegia vs Paresis

Many things can trigger muscle weakness, including aging and illnesses. Plegia and paresis are two conditions that cause muscle weakness. They result in problems in body parts movements and are caused by nerve damage. However, plegia is a condition that results in the complete inability to perform any movement while paresis is a condition that results in the reduction in muscle strength with a limited range of voluntary movement. This is the key difference between plegia and paresis.

FAQ: Plegia and Paresis

1. What is an example of Plegia?

• Plegia means paralysis. Cardioplegia is an example of paralysis of the heart. Hemiplegia is the paralysis of one side of the body, while paraplegia is the paralysis of the legs.

2. What are the main 4 types of paralysis?

• Monoplegia, hemiplegia, paraplegia, and quadriplegia are the four main types of paralysis. Paralysis is the inability to move a part of the body and comes in different types. Paralysis can be caused by a spinal cord injury (SCI) or trauma.

3. What causes paresis and plegia?

• An incomplete inability to move body parts is known as paresis. Plegia or paralysis is the complete paralysis of skeletal muscles. Both these are caused by damage to one or more nerves that initiate movements.

4. What paresis means?

• A mild to moderate degree of muscular weakness is known as paresis. This is not a severe condition like paralysis. Hence, it can be treated much more easily through specific medications and physical therapy.

5. What is the difference between paresis and ataxia?

• Ataxia and paresis are often confused with each other. The main difference between ataxia and paresis is that ataxia affects coordination without affecting strength whereas paresis affects only muscle strength.

Reference:

1. “Plegias.” STIWELL, MEDEL.
2. Seladi-Schulman, Jill. “Paresis: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment.” Healthline, Healthline Media.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Image from page 120 of “General paresis, practical and clinical” (1902)” By Internet Archive Book Images (Public Domain) via Flickr

2. “Spastic paraplegia Art.IWMARTLD6040” (Public Domain) via Picryl

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