Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal. The area of the spinal canal that is affected in paraplegia is either the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions. If both arms are also affected by paralysis, quadriplegia is the proper terminology. If only one limb is affected, the correct term is monoplegia.

Spastic paraplegia is a form of paraplegia defined by spasticity of the affected muscles, rather than flaccid paralysis.

While some people with paraplegia can walk to a degree, many are dependent on wheelchairs or other supportive measures. Depending on the level and extent of spinal damage, people with paraplegia may experience some, or complete loss of sensation in the affected limbs. Impotence and various degrees of urinary and fecal incontinence may also occur. Many^[who?] use catheters or a bowel management program (often involving suppositories, enemas, or digital stimulation of the bowels) to address these problems.^{[citation needed]} With successful bladder and bowel management, paraplegics can prevent virtually all accidental urinary or bowel discharges..^{[citation needed]} Some^[who?] paraplegics prefer the use of incontinence products as an alternative.^{[citation needed]}

Sonja Gaudet (born in North Vancouver, British Columbia on July 22, 1966) is a Canadian Paralympic curler. She was on the team that won gold at Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics and was recently named to the wheelchair curling team for the 2010 Winter Paralympics