The last few weeks I have noticed that my left, affected, arm is being a bit mischievous and has started to hang in a position similar to when I had my stroke 26 months ago. It seems to be worse first thing in a morning but can happen at anytime throughout the day. I’m not sure if it is caused by my frozen shoulder and my arm just feels more comfortable in that position or whether it is possibly stroke related. I can move it out of that position easy enough if I make a conscious effort to do so but it tends to creep back again when it thinks I’m not looking.
Has anyone else experienced this? What have you done about it? Is it just a case of telling it to behave and eventually it’ll stop again? I want to stop it becoming a big problem if I can.
On a different note I often, at night time, get what i can only describe as an electric shock sensation in my head. Last night it happened as I was settling down for the night but at the same time as the sensation travelled across my head the fingers on my left hand all uncurled. It was very weird.
@Nigelglos its possible it could be linked to how conscious I am of it. When i first had my stroke the hospital physio regularly shouted as she went past “straighten your arm” which I’m sure did me a massive favour at the time even if I did grumble.
It’s just strange how it has started to hold in that position again. Similar to what you’re experiencing by the sounds of it.
It could be @Bobbi i’m on a waiting list to see a physio about my frozen shoulder so i’ll ask.at the same time. In the meantime i’ll just keep telling it off hope you’re well x
Thanks Simon, i have been through a bit of stress…well in the run up to Christmas at least. My mums accident, work, a TIA etc. Maybe that is part of the cause. It isn’t likely to be the TIA causing it as that affected my other side. I was running on empty for a while before Christmas so there were definitely less spoons available.
I do use my arm less because of my frozen shoulder so that may be feeding into it. I do use my arm though as trying to stop it getting worse.
I’ve never had SSRI meds but my best friend takes them & it helps her greatly so I wouldn’t rule them out if they can help you.
I’ve been getting the electric shock feelings for a while. I mentioned them to the stroke consultant & he looked at me like I’d gone mad…maybe I have i really hope it isn’t central post stroke pain developing. I’ve read everyone’s posts on here & i really feel for anyone who has it. It does give me an area to research though.
Thanks for your input. Plenty of food for thought.
Hopefully if you get your BP under control the rest will follow although one feeds into the other. A viscous circle.
Thank you for the offer re research paper. I’ve managed to find a few docs/papers which I’ll read in slower time. I can only manage short paras still especially at the end of a busy week. Some weekend reading. At least I will have something I can mention to the consultant then.
J keep using my arm but sometimes it is just too painful. I’m definitely in the use it or lose it camp.
Hope the mirror box therapy reaps rewards for you. I struggle to understand how it works but people report good things about it so there’s every reason to be hopeful.
They’re commonly called brain zaps @Mrs5K and really there’s a whole load of suspected causes such as going on or coming off certain medications, stress, anxiety, hunger, lack of sleep, not well, and so on. In other words, even the doctors don’t really know.
I’ve experienced them from time to time over many years, so not stroke related for me I wouldn’t have thought. More so as I’ve gotten older, but I suppose that would be with having a family, sleepless nights when kids were babies, the usual life stressors.
I did have a bout of zaps before Christmas when I had covid too. Google brain zaps
As for the handbag arm, a slight “urge” for it to sneak into that position has never quite left me. So it can sneak back for me too, most noticeable is when climbing/coming down stairs. But then I think many without strokes also do that anyway. But I get the sensation/inclination more so when tired.
I wonder, with your work, are you on a laptop/keyboard a lot. That’s another trigger for me.
May try a few push up off the wall and when your arm straightens, hold and maintain that pushing tension to a count of 20/30 then release.
And google frozen shoulder rehab exercises too, then go to images and see many simple examples of exercises, stretches and manipulations you can do at home after work, to help relieve it.
My therapist is working on my weak shoulder. This seams to be my issue for having less power to my wrist and hand. She advised exercises to keep it more loose.
@Nigelglos that all makes sense. I often imagine I’m lifting my leg when I do my exercises. My leg still won’t lift but i live in hope that eventually my brain will work it out.
I have always struggled with mirror images. For some reason my brain can’t work them out. Can’t blame my stroke for that one…it’s always been the case
@EmeraldEyes thank you. There is a lot of good things there.
I’ve looked up brain zaps and everything seems to focus on it being related to coming off anti depressants. I’ve never taken them & i’ve not stopped any other meds. These have definitely only been present since my stroke but maybe I am just getting older.
I didn’t think about my arm possibly being related to it being tired. I do use a keyboard a lot for work so it’s very possible it gets tired. I forget I can’t do what I used to. I do have a program on my computer that forces me to take a break every 50 minutes but maybe that isn’t enough. Work have provided me with software that will type for me so I can perhaps use that more & test the theory.
I had a try of the wall push ups this morning but frozen shoulder says no. i had already looked up frozen shoulder exercises & have been doing them for a few months. I didn’t want to wait for the physio…by the time I see them i might not need them. once i’ve improved enough though i shall try the wall push ups again…maybe the frozen shoulder will then say yes
One mistake we easily make, a throwback from our youth, is to not warm up our muscles first. We tend to go straight into action and that can easily turn into a painful mistake in winter with a cold muscle. So, in particularly with your frozen shoulder, warm it up and soften the muscle with a little light massage before you go into action, before you try the wall push up.
Another one is to stand at arms length way from the back of your chair with your hand on the back.
Push down on the back of the chair, and while maintaining that tension, start to bend down at the hips pushing your butt out behind you.
Go as far as your arm and the pain will allow and hold for a count of 10.
And remember a little pain is good thing while you’re do this…no pain no gain. A lot of pain becomes strain and not so good so ease up.
I’m not an expert in this but I’ve learnt a lot over many years from physio’s, osteopaths, gym trainers etc. because of my own issues. The one they all do before going to work on a troublesome muscle is warm it up first!
Actually Emerald Eyes pictures are good, my therapist told me to try those in the shower with warm water concentrating on my shoulder. We’ve just been starting them. Thanks for the good wishes.
Thank you i’ll give it a try. I agree no pain no gain. Frozen shoulder pain is agony though
I was making ok progress with my shoulder then i slipped going out the front door landing on my shoulder. Let’s just say the air was blue for a while & i’m starting again with my exercises. That’ll teach me to go outside
Thank you for the video. I shall have a look. My frozen shoulder has been diagnosed by a physio so am hoping they got it right…but you never know.
You are right re the mental effort required for my job. I do use some spreadsheets but nowhere near as many as I did. I used to do data & statistics but post stroke no longer able so they moved me to a different role. I am a civil servant & spend my time writing business cases now. Exciting hey
Yeh but there’s a big difference between no pain no gain and excruciating pain that could inflict further stress and injury to your shoulder. So you only do these exercises in small and bearable increments
@Mrs5K my mate used the following techniques rather than getting cortisol injection. Not sure if it will be any good for you or not. He says it was good results.
You do tend to build up a lot tension gradually in your shoulders/arms while you’re typing. Your should can rise towards your ears. So get into the habit of pushing yours shoulders down and stretch your neck up between typing, to help reduce the amount of tension that builds up. And give your arm a light massage from time to time, from just above the elbow, and work your way up between the bicep and tricep. That tends to be where I feel a line of tension, like bruising, all the way up the upper arm.
once i’ve improved enough though i shall try the wall push ups again…maybe the frozen shoulder will then say yes 
Thanks for the good wishes.
