Palsy is a medical term which refers to various types of

paralysis Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...

Dan Agin, ''More Than Genes: What Science Can Tell Us About Toxic Chemicals, Development, and the Risk to Our Children;; (2009), p. 172. or paresis, often accompanied by weakness and the loss of feeling and uncontrolled body movements such as shaking. The word originates from the

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature *Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 1066 ...

''paralisie'', ''parleisie'' ''et al.'', from the accusative form of Latin ''paralysis'', from Ancient Greek παράλυσις (''parálusis''), from παραλύειν (''paralúein'', “to disable on one side”), from παρά (''pará'', “beside”) + λύειν (''lúein'', “loosen”). The word is longstanding in the English language, having appeared in the play ''

Grim the Collier of Croydon ''Grim the Collier of Croyden; or, The Devil and his Dame: with the Devil and Saint Dunston'' is a seventeenth-century play of uncertain authorship, first published in 1662. The play's title character is an established figure of the popular cultu ...

'', reported to have been written as early as 1599: In some editions, the Bible passage of

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

5:18 is translated to refer to "a man which was taken with a palsy". More modern editions simply refer to a man who is paralysed. Although the term has historically been associated with paralysis generally, "is now almost always used in connection to the word 'cerebral'—meaning the brain". Specific kinds of palsy include: *

Bell's palsy Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results in a temporary inability to control the facial muscles on the affected side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. Symptoms can vary fr ...

, partial facial paralysis * Bulbar palsy, impairment of cranial nerves * Cerebral palsy, a neural disorder caused by intracranial lesions * Conjugate gaze palsy, a disorder affecting the ability to move the eyes * Erb's palsy, also known as brachial palsy, involving paralysis of an arm *

Spinal muscular atrophy Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disorder that results in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. It is usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and if left untreated it is the most common genetic ...

, also known as wasting palsy * Progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease *

Squatter's palsy Squatting is a versatile posture where the weight of the body is on the feet but the knees and hips are bent. In contrast, sitting involves taking the weight of the body, at least in part, on the buttocks against the ground or a horizontal object. ...

, a common name for bilateral peroneal nerve palsy that may be triggered by sustained

squatting Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...

Third nerve palsy Oculomotor nerve palsy or oculomotor neuropathy is an eye condition resulting from damage to the third cranial nerve or a branch thereof. As the name suggests, the oculomotor nerve supplies the majority of the muscles controlling eye movements (fo ...

, involving

cranial nerve III The oculomotor nerve, also known as the third cranial nerve, cranial nerve III, or simply CN III, is a cranial nerve that enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and innervates extraocular muscles that enable most movements o ...

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External links

{{SIA Medical terminology