Gradual improvement I am improving but not in the areas of skin coldness nor knowing I have an arm

Slowly but what is progress
.what do people recognise as change in the stroke issues

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Hi Mr F. Progress post stroke is slow and based on building up from small beginnings. My stroke arm works but the shoulder area is very heavy and the arm can only be held up to a certain level. The left hand works but has a weaker grip and lacks sensitivity,although it can feel pain. My walking is tolerable with a stick, but varies from day to day. I can do so much more than I ever thought I would, but it’s nearly 7 years on from my big stroke.

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Fully understand the slow ness p stroke recovery, just trying to underst and what the experience was like when the arm became active, was it wakingfrom sleep was it during massage or exercise?
The same with skin vold Ness when did someone say that is less cold or not so regular,
With walking the realisation that you don’tt need a stick and your weight transfer s effortlessly from leg to leg as you move forward

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@mrfrederickson progress is different for everyone but you should celebrate each small improvement. I use a diary to record my day & sometimes when i think i’m not progressing I look back & see how far I’ve come.
I wonder if sometimes we focus on things a bit too much putting pressure on ourselves & in turn making us frustrated when it doesnt happen as we’d like.
I can’t offer any thoughts on coldness as this wasn’t something i had. My arm i just noticed that the pain had eased a bit and i could now hold it in a more natural pisition. Then it was things like i could pick something up, move something, lift it a bit more. I sat putting pegs on a tub, then taking them off again. When i actually got them on a tub i knew i was making progress.
All that may be no help at all. Just my wafflings.
Don’t forget you’re doing really well.

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My mrs is up stairs on her PC I’m down here on my laptop reading the forum.
I just msged her on facetime and asked if I could have half a dozen pegs and something to clip them on. She is going to sort it for me tomorrow.
@Mrs5K I like your idea and I think the co-ordination and strength I could gain from this will make it worth doing. Anyways I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for posting that experience, I think it is something I will find very useful.
I have been spending time getting my leg going and working on my walk. It is time my hand and arm joined in the move towards something better.

As ever,
keep on keepin’ on
(but don’t forget to take breaks)
:+1:

@Bobbi I’m glad my post has helped inspire you to try the pegs. It is something you can try when sat doing nothing else. It was frustrating to start with & i had pegs flying everywhere but in time it improved. When i got the pegs stood like soldiers on the side of the tub I was thrilled. I still use this exercise now as i still have a bit of trouble with it from time to time.

You could also try a stress ball or putty. My sister leant me a stress ball that had eyes that popped out when you pressed it. I couldn’t make the eyes pop out to start with. But in time I did. It was very satisfying :grin:

Anyway, good luck. I hope it works for you & do let us know how you get on.

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Hi John_Jeff
I have the same problem with restricted left arm movement, my physio suggested getting GP to refer me for muscular skeletal physio, which they have done, just waiting for an appointment now. so have to do arm stretching exercises 2-3 times a day till then

Reading on this can you use your left arm day to day

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Forgive me for asking but I notice the same things my self my arm feels attached and doesn’t swing around how are your fingers doing

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I no longer have any trouble with my fingers but due to a frozen shoulder i have lost the full range of movement in my arm that i worked so hard to regain.

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Ann
I think I might be following you down this path :frowning:

I wondered how did the onset of problems with your shoulder start? And have you yet been able to find a shoulder person or any other help and what have they done .

How does it limit you and what are you trying as a way of relieving problems?

I’m getting a pain in my left unaffected side shoulder particularly when my arm is out to the side and raised. I have continued to use it as much as I can in the hope that by everyday usage it will stay flexible. I can’t quite imagine how I will manage if my left arm freezes like my right arm was, given how limited the function of my right hand and arm currently are!

I hope you get some relief soon it must have been going on for months now…?
Ciao
Simon

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Hi Kevin my fingers have feelin and micro movements nothing more

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I was there in the past - with effort everyday I’ve moved on a bit :slight_smile:

I’m at the stage where my index and little finger will extend - but not fully - and Ive got some contraction in them. The middle two will contract with the outside two. I can’t make any of them move independently, or fully. None of them, if I grasp something will open afterwards. I can get thumb & first finger to touch but not thumb & the others.
The position of my shoulder, elbow and wrist governs how much freedom I have over finger moves

They’re very slow and stiff because the wrong muscles are active as well as the right ones - being able to select only the correct muscles is still a work in progress

Ciao
Simon

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My frozen shoulder happened following a pneumonia injection. It’s on my stroke affected side (left) so at least i still have my right side working ok. I try & use it as much as i can but like you it won’t lift much to the side or when i raise it. I can’t get it behind my back either. I have been doing some exercises that the dr gave me whilst I await physio & i googled some others. I’ve had it since May last year but it is a bit better than it was. Slow prpgress but they do seem to be helping. The excruciating pain I had is happening less often but it does still catch me out at times.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.sussexmskpartnershipcentral.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Frozen-Shoulder-exercises-converted.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwibw_eru8uDAxX1T0EAHZEsDy4QFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1JzVta7RQYCRs64zElGcc4

I did have to laugh the other day though when trying to get undressed & i forgot my arm doesn’t lift & I got stuck in my clothes. It waa flipping agony but once I was rescued I saw the funny side :grin:

Hope you manage to stop yours getting too bad x

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So you had a particular trigger. I just had a sudden worsening and then it’s been stable for a while, but sore - thankfully it doesn’t seem to be getting worse but it isn’t getting better either :frowning:

I think I will self refer to the physiotherapists at the GP’s - Which means fighting their website for half an hour :frowning:

Having it since May is terrible - I hope get some relief soon

Ciao
Simon

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My good lady puts the arm and shoulder through manipulation every day on instruction from my neurologist to keep it from seizing up best ten minutes of the day. Thoroughly recommend this.

Good luck

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@SimonInEdinburgh

Good luck navigating the GPs website. I use our GPs website a lot as it is quicker than getting through on telephone.

Glad your arm isn’t getting worse but wise to get some help before it does. I was told it could take 2 - 3 years to repair :scream: so guess i’ve got another 18 months to put up with it yet.

@mrfrederickson once I’ve had some guidance from the physios i’ll get my hubby to help manipulate my arm but i’m not letting him near it without their input as there’s a lot of netves, tendons etc there & I don’t want him to make it worse…he can be a bit heavy handed at times :face_with_spiral_eyes:

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I was told if it hasn’t come back in. 6 months then that’s it and while stil hoping after 3 years still nothing always hopeful

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My neurologist told me that during the stroke itself the arm goes first then the leg last but in recovery the leg returns first and the arm and hand last , some have seen 6 years or more before any signs that it has begun to work

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I do wish the medical people wouldn’t put times on stroke recovery. It really is different for everyone & i think you’ll have seen from this forum and your stroke group that people still improve many months and years down the line. Never give up that hope.

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