Hi Group,
I have mentioned my paresthesia before,
I actively “encouraged it” with my vibration board and other gadgets.
I’ve put them on pause for a few days… but the results have been good.
I recently learnt to turn off (relax) my quads (thigh muscles) and calf muscles.
They had been locked in (spasticity) for months but now I am practicing releasing them faster and faster. Got it down from 5 secs to 1 sec.
Mechanically it makes sense when you realise a muscle is switched on and off by nerves. Returning sensation and the correct working of muscles seem to go hand in hand. I am progressing nicely, and the couple of physios that look after me are very impressed.
Is anyone else experiencing anything along these lines?
Cheers, and happy days to all readers !!
Ciao, Roland
Hi… yes, I’m on a similar page to you, and all you write about are on-going problems for me as well. I have a good team following me ; 3 physios, a councilor, a chinese dr., and a radiologist ; I quickly fired anyone who didn’t have a feel for what was going on. these last 2 know a heck of a lot about strokes.
Tendons shortening is what I call daily maintenance… a boring tug of war going on. They need stretching & looking after otherwise they end up restricting movement.
The discrepancy between you & your physio is real… you’ve had the stroke, not them. I learnt many things by doing my own research. I find ppl who understand do so because they have thought about the problem more deeply. Take proprioception ; what ppl understand there varies from 10 - 90%… nobody can understand it without feeling it directly.
The reason muscles malfunction is also down to nerves controlling them… activating and de-activating a muscle is via nerves. That is why I think the vibration therapy (maybe short sessions with a hand held massage gun?) is key. Nothing wakes them up is quite the same way. I conscously have to relax my quads, but I bet you it’s automating the process each time more and more. One day, it wil get smoother, it will become unconscious ; some have learnt to switch off unconsciously and with some muscle groups it’s early days… so work in progress / and yes, conscious thought required…
How long ago was your stroke, simon? mine 6.5 months ago.
I think it’s a complicated subject, I would advise trying to feel the muscle groups switch on and off. How are you with that stage? Can you feel these muscles?
We can talk more if you like. I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t know who does.
Best wishes, Roland
Hi I had 2 strokes nearly 18 months ago on left hand side and still when I wake up every morning and my left leg when it is first straightened goes into a spasm only once or twice for a few seconds each time wondering if you or any one else had some advice on this
hmmm, don’t know about spasms… but I get jolts quite often
like sparks or electric shocks going through the body
Nerves, no doubt
I would bet your nerves are either healing or having a moment
Good luck, R
Hi Mccabe-- My spasms started in my left leg right after my stroke. I got them at night. The leg would tighten up-hold for about 3-5 seconds- then relax. It would repeat this every couple of minutes. I couldn’t sleep. This went on for months. Fortunately, the nurses in the hospital told me about CBD drops, which I started using when I got home. 3 weeks later. That’s the only thing that brought relief. Over time the spasms came less often. I hardly never need the CBD now after 4 1/2 years. Just the brain healing I guess. Jeanne
Thankyou the pain isn’t to bad and it only happens first thing in the morning I thought it might be to do with sleeping ng and hardly moving I go to bed at 10 pm and usually wake up about 2 to 3 times before I get up at 7ish that’s when it happens I’ve got use to the pain it only lasts a bit sorry to hear some of you seem to have a lot more pain than me
Thanks, Chris, and and all encouragement welcomed
The difficult thing about this stroke is to find a thread / any thread / any evidence I am making p;rogress. Well it progresses at a snails pace, but I think I am on to something… ever since I realised it’s nerves that talk to each other and switch muscles “on” and “off”
I read your post with great interest. I was lucky in building my team ; the Radiologist and the Aqupuncturist I’ve known, as friends, for 20 years. The 2 physios are great at listening to me and answering my questions. They may not always get the exercises right for me, but they are humble, experienced, and I know I get some inspiration from them, and at the least develop my ideas from them…
They’re good, but they cannot know what having a stroke feels like. My Radiologist says when I get most of my proprioception back, I will make faster progress. And that’s a big word, one that I find is often understood only to a degree, depending how much thought has been put into it. But how could one understand the word proprioception fully without ever having experienced it?
Like you, I find “in theory” and “in practice” are 2 different things. Most physios churn out their routines on autopilot; they are not relevant or customised to my particular needs. Taking matters into my own hands, and getting on with it is very much to the point. Even a random hunch I have is likely to be based on what I feel my body most needs; my insight and understanding are vital precious steps towards progress. I recently bought a 350p. textbook on my kindle “Muscles and Nerves”… since I waste hours trying to go beyond the standard 1 page info on anything I look up on the net.
Let’s hope one day stroke rehab improves
And a good weekend to you too, R
I have lost my mom to major stroke she was only 57 years old cause her to have one 1⃣ is what she was eating i was trying stop her, then her sister had one also years later…,My mom name was Rose Bud Smith
I on one of the topics of this club read about the tens machine by little electric shocks stimulates the nerves and it sounds like a few people have had good progress with useing one so I have ordered one arriving tomorrow 5star reviews hopefully will work will keep you all updated
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