The main cause of right hemiplegia is damage to the nervous system. When the left hemisphere of the brain is damaged it affects the muscles on the right side of the body. It most commonly occurs when the parts of the brain that is responsible for movement control such as the motor cortex is damaged.

The common causes of right hemiplegia are neurological problems that includes the following:

  • Stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Brain tumors
  • Brain infections
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Degenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease

Usually, weakness of the muscles on one side of the body is called hemiparesis while, paralysis of the muscles on one side of the body is referred to as hemiplegia.

Although hemiplegia is most commonly caused by damage to the brain, it can also occur after spinal cord injury.

Right Hemiplegia and the Brain

As learned in the preceding chapter, the brain is divided into two halves known as left and right hemispheres. Each hemisphere of the brain controls movement on the opposite side of the body. Because the left hemisphere controls movement on the right side of the body, that accounts for the two common causes of right hemiplegia: a left hemisphere stroke and left hemisphere brain injury.

Right Hemiplegia and the Spinal Cord

Unlike the brain, each side of the spinal cord controls movement on the same side of the body. As a result, when right hemiplegia occurs after spinal cord injury, it is caused by damage to the right side of the spinal cord.

Cerebral Palsy And Hemiplegia

When individuals with cerebral palsy suffer motor impairments on one side of the body, it is called spastic hemiplegia, even if they can still move their affected limbs to some extent.

The good news about the central nervous system is that it has the capability to heal, rewire and reorganize itself. The rewiring process as we know is called neuroplasticity, which plays the key role in the overall prospect of recovery and rehabilitation process of right hemiplegia.

The recover prospects and potentials are bright for many stroke survivors who are experiencing left hemiplegia. There clear evidence that many survivors suffered left hemiplegia are able to recover motor control through neuroplasticity. This refers to the central nervous system’s (the brain and spinal cord) ability to make adaptive changes and rewire its neural circuitry.

This process makes it possible for functions affected by neurological damage to be rewired to unaffected areas and strengthened through engaging in repetitive practice. Basically, any skill a person practice with consistency activates the central nervous system and motivates it to make adaptive changes. The more you practice, the stronger the newly rewired pathways become.

If you improve and recover movements affected by left hemiplegia, you should consistently practice moving the left side of their body. The next chapter will highlight some effective ways recover from left hemiplegia and in the later part of the chapter more details will be provided.

In the next section we will consider right hemiplegia, please follow through.

Right Hemiplegia The Recovery Prospect

Unlike in the case of left hemiplegia where most people are known to be right-handed, in right hemiplegia the affected side is the commonly used side. What this means is that right hemiplegia  will more likely create challenges when performing daily activities than the left hemiplegia. Irrespective of what the challenges are, many survivors are able to improve and regain their mobility, by tapping into the central nervous system’s ability to rewire itself. This makes it possible for the functions impaired by central nervous system damage due stroke, to be rewired to unaffected areas. These new areas will become efficient and effective through repetitive practice, or “massed practice.”

This requires consistency and repetitive practice need to stimulates the central nervous system to emphasis the importance and demand for a specific function or skill. As a result, to improve and regain any skill, be it movement, memory, or problem-solving, consistent repetition is needed. As you keeping practice, the central nervous system will respond and adapt accordingly.

If you are experiencing right side paralysis try practicing rehabilitation exercises that targets the right side of your body. By doing so, you will help the brain and/or spinal cord rewire itself. On the other hand, the unaffected side of your body should not be ignored, because movement on both sides of the body is always beneficial for overall recovery.  But it is important to focus more energy on right-sided exercise, it is the central key to regaining movement on the affected right side.

Summary

Left hemiplegia is paralysis on the left side of the body is caused by neurological damage. Experiencing loss of motor control, can significantly many things a person’s life, there is hope recovery. There exist great prospects for individuals to improve their mobility and regain their functional independence. Through intensive and highly repetitive training, individuals can encourage their brain and/or spinal cord to utilize neuroplasticity and make adaptive.

So don’t limit yourself or get discouraged, if you don’t give up be assured that there are no woeful failures on the road to stroke recovery.

Right hemiplegia describes paralysis on the right side of the body due to neurological damage. Thanks to neuroplasticity (the central nervous system’s ability to rewire itself), there is hope for recovery from right hemiplegia.

Treatment should involve passive rehabilitation exercises that target the right side of the body. There is always hope for recovery.

 

Book to link: “Stroke complications and side effects- what you need to know.”