Are there any post stroke spasticity stroke survivors out there that have tesolved from spasticity phase? If so how kong where you in this phase of recovery? Was it very gradual ?
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I still get occurrences. Two years since hospitalisation with stroke.
This might not be what you want to hear but I feel it is a process, one I donāt want to stop or avoid.
I feel it is basic brain and nerve repair that produces the over stimulation.
Almost two years since the stroke I am still getting substantial improvements in arm hand, leg and foot.
Iāve yet a long way to go but much has improved since leaving the hospital.
As far as Iām concerned they stabilised my condition and sent me home.
The next steps, a life timeās work, is now with a little support largely up to me.
I wish you well, stay in touch, and . . .
keep on keepinā on
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Hi @Flashtron
Your best bet is to search the forum for keywords of interest to you using the magnifying glass above.
Youāll find a great deal more has been written over time than will be added as replies here 
Just searching spasticity returns over 50 references, āReducing spasticityā gives 3 but also the clue to look for ātoneā āhypertoneā(2), āhyper toneā(11) and Botox(50+) although surprisingly nothing on the Brunnstorm stages/scale - But that is easily looked up using Google or DuckDuck and if your up for it Google Scholar/Research Gate/ Academic.edu etc al
The not very useful answer to āhow longā is it really is dependant on the individual.
Periods of months to years are typical.
Not only is it dependant on the serendipityĀæ of our strokes but also on the regimes that we use in exercise.
If youāre highly sedentary itās unlikely to change much. If you over exercise in an attempt to speed the process up the thoughts are often that it makes it worse
what your sweet-spot is you will have to discover by trial and error.
That trailer error might be informed and shortcut by reading the experiences of others - hence the suggestion that you search and read
As you find the posts by people like @pando and @Outlander on your topic of interest you can add there @ name to the search bar and it will return only posts on the search topic by that author
Treat determining your recovery regime as an exercise in debugging (If that translates to your flash drive daysĀæ)
Ciao
Simon
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@Flashtron It really came on at the 6 month mark of my stroke. It is getting worse.
Soā¦Iāve had it whole right side now for about 8 months. Iāve tried everything from drugs to exercise. Whole right side feel like cement. I believe our own Minniebee has had it for 9 years.
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Hi there,
While a very experienced physio said I did suffer from spasticity, he says Iāve now progressed to a phase of spasms, and stiffness. This sounds great, but itās similar, and still is an uphill struggle to live with this condition. Call it what you like, hyper-tone, increased muscle tone or otherā¦
Stretches, movement, putting pressure on a muscle, and a bunch of minor tips and tricks (I keep an emergency āto doā list for myself) are my main tools. I tell myself itās only temporary, and that Iām lucky that, soon, Iāll be able to work my way out of this predicament.
Good luck, Roland
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Hi Roland: Happy New Year.
What do you you mean by putting pressure on a muscle, please?
Cheers, Derek
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Hi Derek,
exactly that; āputting pressureā is the simplest way I can describe it. When I have locked-glute day, getting to sleep may be a problem with aches & pains. Whenever I roll onto my right side, and gravity squashes my bad leg, often with hips and my own body mass, and certainly the weight of the other leg on top, I manage to pacify the ache, often 'til it almost disappears. Another technique is to stand on one leg (the one that hurts). Thus gravity, or pressure, especially squashing a muscle brings relief. Itās a well documented technique, which Iām sure you know. One day my Chinese Dr. described this as putting pressure on a muscle, and it stuck. I could get my wife to sit on my leg, and weād say the pressure was gravity, her weight, or applying pressure onto my leg.
Hope that clarifies, ciao, Roland
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Thank you brother. sounds right.
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I believe @MinnieB has tried CBD for reliefā¦
Others have tried acupuncture and accupressure and sports massage also heat, lineament / menthol oil is I believe ā traditionalā in sporting / athletics
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I have 2 acupuncture sessions a week. Yes, my Chinese Dr. can do remarkable things with muscle tone. While he canāt do anything long term, he can make a difference short term. I take CBD every night too, and that has special properties, and tremendous healing potential. Very relevant for neurological problems. On bad days I drink Tonic water. This has a trigger effect at 6 pm (because I have built up this event so that it is strongest at 6pm)
ciao, Roland
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Bobbi have you tried sativex its approved in the uk for spasticity ive heard good things about this a mucousal spray canibis extract from sativa strand by jazz pharmaceuticals and gw yet approved in the states though.
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Also Mtr-601 very promising targeted 1 pill a day therapy for stroke spasticity in phase 1 clinical trials in the states investigator motric bio it targets fast twitch muscle types iam really hopeful on this drug it targets the contritile proteins myosins very targeted approach. The muscle relaxers ive taken no results baclofen tizanadine shockwave acupuncture botoxshots all classes didnt have effect on me theres also a new non invasive device in the states called the myo regulator that will get fda approval in 2024 it has ce approval to mass produce after fda approval myo regulator by pathmaker
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Hey there bobbi.3 months after my stroke and 3 weeks of being back at home i expirienced spontaneous recovery of my left arm and hand i could fully extend my fingers and raise my arm with no big effort ā¦ then 4months after experiencing S. P recovery i ran into a regression of hand and arm wich i lost some of that sp recovery because of it still better than when i left the hospital a big blow to my welf esteem since i thougth i was out the woods from these side effects
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I have faith in the natural healing processes and am suspicious of interfering by using chemical, mechanical or other interventions.
From what I have seen artificial stimuli promising great results tends to disappoint over the long term, possibly actually delaying repair and recovery.
I am of the opinion that the promise that āquick fixesā offers is a false trail.
Personally, I am in this for the long haul and believe gains can and will be made over time.
My experience tells me that this can be so.
keep on keepinā on
I agree that self esteem is very vulnerable after stroke.
You and your efforts are worthwhile.
Valuing and being kind to yourself gives an upward step in the right direction.
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Hello bobbi so whats your daily regimen of physical therapy that has recently brougth you some gains in your hand and arm was your leg also affected also do you currently have spasticity. Has it reduced over the last2years with just daily therapy excercises?like you mentioned you havent taken chemical treatments.
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I think my attitude in relation to stroke as a condition and yours are quite different.
Daily exercise, therapy sessions, spasticity (?), regimens, treatments and matters stroke related are obviously something that occupies the major part of your life.
I would say you are very professional and dedicated in relation to the matter.
I on the other hand have a less involved concern and like to involve myself in many things largely non stroke related.
In this way of living my life I am not inactive, uninvolved but I am not obsessed with my condition. This short text I am writing is about as focused on the subject of stroke as I am likely to get.
I would have great difficult answering the questions you pose, as by and large the subjects you mention do not occupy my attention to any degree.
Since leaving the hospital my condition has improved. I have good reason to believe that this healing process is ongoing and will continue.
keep on keepinā on
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Were you told in hospital that the regressions and decompensations are part of the journey?
Seems the stuff we find out from each other could easily be part of the standard journey to educate people as well
Iām more with Bobby on the recovery side. Sort of. I just cleared some plant cuttings, fallen leaves and other garden detritus into a builderās bag in the garden.
I did as much as I could two handed.
Thatās my daily exercise philosophy - I always do door handles and light switches right handed (affected) in fact the only thing I donāt focus on doing right handed yet is eating because I canāt grip the cutlery.
I have failed to find the motivation to do the Lycra shorts and a box of tennis balls or dice & and close pegs type exercises - But I avoid, neigh i fight against learnt non-use constantly.
I have some challenges extending my fingers unless my wrist is in a particular orientation. I think this is spasticity because muscle and tendon shortening would pull when I stretch the fingers and rest back manually and it doesnāt pull anymore than my unaffected hand but my fingers still curl in to my palm under conditions of most usages - so I think itās muscles contracting not muscles shrinking
Again I think thereās a medical staff had suffered our conditions theyād be much more competent at helping us avoid the worst
2Ā¢
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@Flashtron
@pando @Bobbi @SimonInEdinburgh
Something just flashed in my mind today. Tara Tobias, an excellent Youtube Physical therapist whom I respect is Against strength training for spasticity. I always thought ;
well I love strength training so much as an avid body builder before my stroke, I just couldnāt give it up. All the research shows it also adds to longevity.
I do the Weights and machines 2 to 3 days a week. The day after an hourās workout, the spasticity grips me ā¦hard. Somethingā¦the Lord, the universe, my inner selfā¦at times whispers to me: āstick to the gentle movements and aerobics, back off a little bit from the strength stuffā.
Letās see if that āstill small voiceā is telling me something.
Example: yesterday I did light dumbbell curls with many reps and 4 sets. Today as I type this post my hand, elbow and shoulder feel like immovable iron.
We shall see.
Derek
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Derek
Do you find if you stop exercising for a few days you stop getting locked muscles?
Coz if so I have some suggestions to makeā¦
If you donāt know then for a weekās worth of absence to discover that there is - or is not a cause and effect relationship would be worth it - nāest pas?
Simon
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nāest pas ??? my Dear Hercule Poirot:
Simon, I think you have something there and certainly worth a try.
Iām not sure about a week but perhaps a few days.
Thanks much, Derek
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