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Types of Physical Disabilities

Physical medicine and rehabilitation is the branch of the field of medical related to the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal system-muscles and bones often associated with physical disabilities. A physical disability limits functioning owing to impairment of one or more of the limbs, fine or gross motor difficulties, or impairments of mobility. A physical disability includes impairment of the upper limbs, loss of manual dexterity and challenges in coordination. A physical disability may result from a congenital condition can be acquired after birth as a consequence of a disease or injury. Broken bones or other skeletal issues also quality as physical disabilities.

  1. Cerebral Palsy

    • The term cerebral palsy encompasses a variety of disorders that affect movement and posture. Persons with cerebral palsy have trouble maintaining muscle tone because the part of the brain that controls muscle tone has been damaged. A person with cerebral palsy may have increased muscle tone, reduced muscle tone or a combination of the two, which is referred to as fluctuating tone.There are four kinds of cerebral palsy: spastic, in which muscles are stiff and there is difficulty with movement; athetoid, which is characterized by uncontrolled muscle movement; and ataxic, evidenced by impaired balance and depth perception; and mixed, which is a combination of the types.

    Spinal Cord Disability

    • A spinal cord disability results from a spinal cord injury that leaves an individual with physical impairments. Spinal cord disabilities are typically the result of serious accidents, and are referred to as incomplete or complete. When the injury is incomplete, the messages sent to the brain from the spinal cord are not completely cut off. A complete injury results in no messages getting to the brain from the location of the injury. Spinal cord disabilities are characterized by loss of movement and sensation below the site of the injury. In some situations, a spinal cord injury that is high enough in the cord may result in an individual having no control over any body movements.

    Musculoskeletal Disabilities

    • Physical disabilities associated with musculoskeletal conditions include muscular dystrophy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, limb deficiencies or amputations, and a wide range of deformities or degeneration of muscle or bone that affect an individual's ability to move, walk, sit, stand or use their hands and feet in a normal manner.

    Traumatic Brain Injury

    • Physical disabilities are often a result of traumatic brain injuries. The most common causes of traumatic brain injury are vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds, burns, falls and poisonings. The physical consequences of traumatic brain injury vary depending on the severity of the trauma to the brain. In severe cases an individual may lose all physical control and be ventilator-dependent. In mild cases, an individual may have minor issues with memory, reflexes and response time.

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