Complete paralysis of one side of the body, typically affecting the arm, leg, and sometimes the face on the same side. This usually results from damage to the opposite side of the brain.
From Greek 'hemi-' meaning 'half' + 'plegia' meaning 'stroke' or 'paralysis'. The term literally means 'half-paralysis' and has been used in medicine since the 17th century.
Hemiplegia is like having your body's electrical system short-circuited on one side! Because of how our brain's wiring works, damage to the left brain affects the right side of the body and vice versa - it's as if someone unplugged half of your body's control cables from the main computer.
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