New research has been carried out to review how a traumatic physical injury can cause affect the brain and cause other health problems – such as loss of muscle control, nerve damage or sensory loss – after the initial physical injury has healed.
Dr Oliver Sacks’ drew attention to this in 1984 when he published a book about his experience of ‘functional paralysis’ of his leg that was badly injured in a fall. He experienced other health problems as he recovered and learned how to walk again. He also reported a feeling of his leg being ‘disconnected’ from his body and, using his expertise and knowledge tried to make sense of this. Experts have now reviewed his experience and examined more closely ‘functional paralysis’ which was previously known as ‘hysterical paralysis’. The British Medical Journal layman’s report is here with a link to the more in-depth analysis.
