Types & Causes of Mobility Impairments
Mobility impairments may be the resulting condition of many different types of disabilities, including:
Disease and major illness
Injury
Mobility Impairments Resulting from Disease and Major Illness:
Arthritis
According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, arthritis affects nearly 70 million Americans, or about one of every three adults. Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the United States; affecting people of all ages, including working age. Arthritis can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and other symptoms, even when the joint is not used.
Heart disease
Heart disease includes various types of heart conditions: congenital heart disease in adult life; valvular heart disease; mitral valve prolapse; cardiomyopathy; hypertension; coronary artery disease; and congestive heart failure. Mobility impairments resulting from heart disease will depend on the type and severity of the condition, and whether medical treatment alleviates the symptoms. The more severe a person’s symptoms, the more physical limitations they will have.
Stroke (sometimes classified as an “injury”)
The effects of a stroke depend primarily on the location of the obstruction and the extent of brain tissue affected, and mobility impairments often occur as a result of a stroke. Because one side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body, a stroke affecting one side will result in neurological complications on the opposite side of the body if affects. For example, if the stroke occurs in the brain's right side, the left side of the body (and the right side of the face) will be affected, which could produce paralysis on the left side of the body. If the stroke occurs in the left side of the brain, the right side of the body (and the left side of the face) will be affected, which could produce some paralysis on the right side of the body.
HIV/AIDS
Please refer to the HIV/AIDS section of the Employer DisABILITIES at Work: http://www.employ-ability.org/erc/disabilitiesatwork21.asp#Anchor-Workplace-23240
Post-Polio
According to the Post-Polio network, around 70% of people experience new symptoms 20-30 years after contracting polio, known as Post Polio Syndrome. These symptoms may include muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain, and breathing problems, all of which can cause mobility impairments. Muscle weakness and pain may lead to arthritis and/or overuse syndromes, due to using some muscles incorrectly or excessively.
Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a progressive, hereditary disease that attacks the proteins that maintain muscles, causing them to get weak and degenerate. The most important thing to remember is there are many different types of MD and each type possesses its own set of symptoms and areas affected. Muscular dystrophy causes muscle mass to weaken and decrease in size. The arms, legs, or trunk may become so weak they eventually can't move. Some forms of MD are accompanied by stiff joints, and some are accompanied by scoliosis, or spinal curvature. Some forms of MD affect the muscles used for swallowing, and may require that precautions be taken when eating or drinking food. Although most forms of muscular dystrophy don't affect the brain, some do create brain changes, and people may experience learning disabilities that range from slight to severe.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy results from an injury to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth. Faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture. Many people with CP have other complications, including mental retardation, learning disabilities, seizures, vision, and communication problems. "Cerebral" refers to the brain and "palsy" to muscle weakness/poor control. Cerebral palsy itself is not progressive (i.e. brain damage does not get worse); however, secondary conditions can develop, such as muscle spasticity. These other conditions may get better or worse over time.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that affects the nerve cells of the spinal cord and the brain. The progression leads from the person being unable to control their movements to total paralysis and, ultimately, death. Throughout this process, the person’s mental faculties remain intact.
Persons of Small Stature (Dwarfism)
Little People of America (LPA) defines dwarfism as a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter, among both men and women, although in some cases a person with a dwarfing condition may be slightly taller than that. The level of mobility impairment varies with each individual, and depends on the type.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Persons with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of illness.
Obesity
Obesity can be either the cause, or the result of mobility impairments. Obesity is a recognized disability under the ADA, if the obesity substantially limits one or more major life activities. In addition, a person may be considered obese if they are double their target weight, or if they have a medical condition as a result of their obesity. California disability law (FEHA) does not specifically list obesity as a disability, but a person may be protected if it is perceived that a person’s obesity interferes with his or her ability to perform job duties.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system affecting over 400,000 Americans (mostly women). The protective coating of nerve cells (myelin) is destroyed, which results in the loss or delay of signals traveling through the nerve cells. The severity and progress of the various symptoms is highly individualized and may not follow any pattern. This results in a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe.
Mobility Impairments Resulting from Injury
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when there is any traumatic injury or disease to the spinal column. SCI can be divided into two types of injury - complete and incomplete. A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of the injury, and an incomplete injury means that there is some functioning below the level of the injury. There are three main ways a spinal injury can affect a person:
- Tetraplegia (the term "quadriplegia" is being replaced by the term "tetraplegia"), or paralysis from approximately the shoulders down, can result in a loss of many involuntary functions. This may include the ability to breathe, necessitating breathing aids such as mechanical ventilators. Tetraplegia can also affect a person’s shoulders and biceps control, wrist or hand function, and can cause dexterity problems with the hand and fingers.
- Paraplegia, or paralysis from approximately the waist down, can cause poor trunk control as the result of lack of abdominal muscle control, making it difficult for a person to balance while sitting down.
- Lumbar and Sacral injuries can result in decreasing control of the hip flexors and legs.
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
RSI is an umbrella term for a number of overuse injuries affecting the soft tissues of the neck, upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, arms and hands. Poor workplace ergonomics and job design are significant factors in the development of these injuries. Typically arising as aches and pains, these injuries can progress to become crippling disorders that prevent sufferers from working or leading normal lives. A person may feel burning, sharp, or aching pain in their hands, arms, shoulders, or neck. They may find that their hands or forearms wear out quickly and feel weak or clumsy, making it hard to do simple tasks such as opening a bottle or lifting an object. In addition, a person with RSI may have tingling or numbness in the arms or hands, or the finger joints "crack" when moved. RSI symptoms can affect both the front and backsides of the hands equally. Often, the symptoms do not go away even after rest, and even unrelated activities may cause pain.
Back Pain
Back pain is an example of a “hidden” mobility impairment. People affected by back injuries may not present any outward signs of a mobility impairment (they may not use a wheelchair or they may be able to lift objects), but that doesn’t mean the disability is not present. The pain may be the result of a traumatic injury, degenerative condition, or poor ergonomic positioning.
Other injuries that may cause mobility impairments are:
- Severe injury/amputation of arms, legs, fingers
- Traumatic brain injury
Please refer to the Cognitive Disabilities section of the Employer DisABILITIES at Work.: http://www.employ-ability.org/erc/disabilitiesatwork28-cog.asp
