hi everyone, for the pat week or so I’ve noticed a lot more sensations in my stroke affected arm, sharp pains, dull aches a general heaviness nothing too bad, but the past few days I’ve noticed the pains moved it’s way up through my shoulder blade, into the back of my neck, right behind my ear and up and over the back of my head. This is more a dull pain and makes me feel very heavy. This is all only on my stroke affected side so basically the left half of me. anybody else struggled with this. Laura from Glasgow
I wouldn’t dream of telling you what it means or what to do.
I think a word with GP, or consultant might be what I should suggest.
Sometimes, post stroke, a number of symptoms can pop up. A professional who has knowledge of your case could well have the answer.
I hope you find answers which will be happy and take you in the direction of improvement.
Others in this community will have more to add, but always get checked out before anything else.
This forum is a great place to find answers and if you return and report anything you find then what you add could be a help to others.
Hello Laura.
I can relate to some of this. I passed my 2 yr stroke anniversary on 13th June. I’m also left side affected. I was initially paralysed down the whole of my left side but was able to use the SaraStedy by the end of the first week even though I kept forgetting I had a left arm. I couldn’t feel it at all for a while but was aware of pins and needles in the hand within 24hrs. I did lots of sensory reeducation over the 7 or so weeks I was in rehab and regained a lot of the sensation I’d lost. Within a few months of being home, I was able to use my hand at maybe 90% capacity and today I would say it’s probably at 95%. There is, however, a ‘but’.
As time has gone on, I’ve had various problems with the arm and it’s become even more numb especially since the beginning of the year when I started having physio again. On the positive side, I’ve now got much better range of motion. What’s not so great is that the whole arm feels like a lump of lead and the pins and needles which had faded to something fairly gentle are now raging most of the time. They’re also on the left side of my face, with numbness, from the eyelid down to my lips.
The PT says my forearm is very tight and I do stretching exercises which haven’t eased the feeling of tightness yet but I can definitely straighten my arm out a lot better. All around the scapula and shoulder feels tight and uncomfortable but I can move the arm ok. Some of what is going on there is neurological, some is mechanical and some may well be tight fascia, which is common post stroke. I believe it will settle in time with continued exercise. I find CBD helps with the neurological stuff and it stopped muscle spasms altogether.
I don’t know if any of this is helpful to you. We are all different and some of us will worry about aches and pains more than others. I find what’s going on with me to be annoying much of the time because it’s uncomfortable enough to stop me going out as often as I’d like to. Also, walking is harder with a heavy arm. But I accept it all as part of my recovery and just get on with it. I think I may have worried more in the early days because none of us really know what’s going on at first. A lot of stroke recovery can be about finding ways to cope with what gets thrown at us and knowing when to worry or not. Maybe a chat with the doc will help reassure you. Take care and I hope you get some improvement soon.
Trace
Maybe talk to a health professional it could be all sorts and it’s best to get the diagnosis or answers there. I’ve not experienced that so can’t help, must be awful for you though.
Hello Laura yes I get terrible pain in my left leg my stroke affected side. It’s absolutely excruciating and I have to go to bed when it happens. Removing my splint also helps and moving the limb as much as I can.