What is Hemiplegia

Hemiplegia is a condition that causes paralysis and sensory loss to the opposite side where there is a brain lesion. This means if there is a brain lesion on the right hemisphere of the brain, the left side will be affected and vise versa.

Most often these brain lesions are caused when a person has a stroke. The severity of the condition depends on the location of the lesion in the brain as well as how long the stroke lasts for. If the stroke lasts for less than 24 hours, the condition is less likely to be permanent, having little to no symptoms later on in life. If the stroke lasts longer than 24 hours, the higher the likelihood that the symptoms will be life-lasting. Other reasons for someone to become hemiplegic is from head trauma or a brain tumor that causes there to be a brain bleed.

Right-handed people who have a brain lesion in their dominant hemisphere (left side), are more likely to have speech difficulties and a lower success rate in returning to being symptom-free, compared to people who are left-handed and have a brain lesion in their dominant hemisphere (right side).

Treatment for Hemiplegia

When it comes to massage therapy, massage is not able to treat the lesion in the brain. Rather it is used to treat the symptoms that arise from the brain lesion. Positioning will depend on what is most comfortable as well as if there are any other conditions present, such as high blood pressure.
During treatment, it starts as a relaxation massage to help with tissue health and relaxing any spasms, and decreasing swelling that is present. Also with a relaxation massage, it is done for the whole body, this helps with body awareness, which can make it easier during rehabilitation to make movements more coordinated. Gentle tapotements may also be used to help with getting the nerve to fire for sensory input. Later in the treatment passive range of motion and joint play is introduced to maintain joint health and flexibility. In the future, if symptoms are starting to subside, active and/or resisted range of motion may also be incorporated into the massage.