Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions โ 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.
Paresis
Introduction
- This article is about the physical malady. For the mental disorder, see general paresis.
Paresis is a condition typified by partial loss of movement, or impaired movement. When used without qualifiers, it usually refers to the limbs, but it also can be used to describe the muscles of the eyes and also the stomach. Neurologists use the term paresis to describe weakness, and plegia to describe paralysis in which all movement is lost.
Subtypes
Subtypes
- Monoparesis — One leg or one arm
- Paraparesis — Both legs or both arms
- Hemiparesis — One arm and one leg on either side of the body
- Quadraparesis — All four limbs
- Gastroparesis — Impaired stomach emptying
Associated conditions
Associated conditions
- It frequently refers to the impairment of motion in multiple sclerosis.
- It is also used to describe a form of ophthalmoplegia.
- In the past, the term was most commonly used to refer to “General paresis,” which was a symptom of untreated syphilis. However, due to improvements in treatment of syphilis, it is now rarely used in this context.