Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ascending paralysis
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Ascending paralysis refers to a form of paralysis where the presentation appears in the lower limbs before the upper limbs.
It can be associated with:
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (another name for this condition is “Landry’s ascending paralysis”)
- Tick paralysis[1]
It can be contrasted to “descending paralysis”, which occurs in conditions such as botulism.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]