Hi David,
I've responded to you on this topic here. I hope you will receive other feedback from survivors about their personal experience of spasticity in this feed.
Don't hesitate to call us if you wish to discuss further,
Simone - StrokeLine 1800 787 653
Hi again,
You may also find this conversation here helpful. I'm pleased you've listened in to our recent podcast.
Best wishes,
Simone
Hi David, I have some spasticity in my left foot and hand as a result of my stroke in July 2015 which has been very frustrating as I am a very active person. The spasticity has interfered with me playing sport and exercising but I'm hopeful that I can get some relief with acupuncture which I intend trying next week. Have you tried acupuncture as a treatment?
I haven't tried acupuncture. I know it's not proven effective.But even though the theory behind acupuncture is unscientific, it makes sense. I'd definitely be interested in hearing whether it gives you any relief. Like you, I was very fit and active before the stroke but now even walking is very uncomfortable because of the spasticity throughout my left side.
It would be wonderful to hear how you get on Michael. The new Clinical Guidelines for stroke are out later in the year and it will be interesting to see if there's anymore evidence around acupuncture and spasticity.
Simone (StrokeLine)
Hi David and Simone, re my recent acupuncture treatment I have had two sessions a week apart with a person who has been practicing acupuncture for many years. Unfortunately the treatment has not been effective to date as I had wished and as a result I have decided to drop the treatment for now. I may decide to go back to the treatment in time but I'm now going to return to physiotherapy and OT to see if I can get any relief from that. I'm also hoping to have some botox treatment to see if that has any affect on the spasticity which is becoming increasingly frustrating in regard to my coordination and my ability to exercise. For now though I try to walk 10kms a day which I'm lucky to be able to do compared to many but have to be careful not to trip over my own feet. Hang in there David, that's all any of us can do. I'm very determined to get over this and I'm never going to give up trying.
Thank you for the update Michael, sorry to hear it wasn't effective. It sounds like a sensible plan to return to the OT and physio and investigate botulinum toxin for the spasticity. Please let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you. I love your attitude, we are cheering you along every step of the way. 10kms a day is a wonderful effort! We have Stride 4 Stroke coming up in November - you may be interested.
If you would ever like to chat please call us on 1800 787 653.
Simone (StrokeLine)
Thank you for the update ,Michael. Sorry the acupuncture wasn't effective.But 10kms a day is amazing!
I was doing 4 kms a day but the spasticity became too painful and uncomfortable so my walks are much shorter and less frequent now.
I don't care about working hard to hammer out this spasticity.But everything online seems so vague and despite physiotherapists saying that it can be eliminated through exercise and physio, I've never seen an actual testimonial or case study about someone actually recovering from spasticity and I don't want to be like this for the rest of my life!
I had one mild stroke and yes my leg had real spastic nerve shoots it kinda hurts but I did a shit load of physio and I made a reasonable recovery and it was gone only being 2 weeks back at work I had another mild stroke and its back I also get it my arm but exercise is the best way for me to gain control over it
Sorry to hear about your strokes Rolf and the spasticity you experience. It is great it can be managed by exercise for you. Do you do anything else to help manage it?
Best wishes,
Simone (StrokeLine)
Thank you for your input Rolf.!Sorry to hear you had another stroke.
! I am using the same strategy as you - a shitload of exercise. I've made some small gains and making small gains.but sometimes the frustration is about not really reaching those big goals, but just getting enough range of movement to add new exercises!
Iread about the Brunnstrom stages of recovery in which spasticity is a stage of recovery, and eventually disappears, but this view doesn't seem to be universally accepted.
sadly i have engaged in as much exercise as i can fit in with working full time and although there was initial improvement with my shoulder and right arm/hand, nothing has improved since.....just having to manage the pain, invent alternatives to attend to daily activities and develop my left hand dominance
....best wishes for a positive journey.
To the Enable Me staff~. It would be helpful (to me, at least) to have your replies and forum entries dated so the reader knows how new or old the comments are. I'm in California and am always interested in learning how to improve my recovery. Keep up the good work.
Hi Numnah,
I have sent you commnet through to the team
Diana
Hi David,
I hope you are doing well and the spasticity you have been suffering from is getting better. In regard to that I thought I should update you and other stroke survivors who may also be suffering from this debilitating condition. I am now on my third lot of rehab since my stroke which includes physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, exercise physiology and occupational therapy and this is being carried out at Allied Health section at Noosa Hospital. It's a grueling three hours of exercises twice a week for a six week period and by the time that week has finished I am extremely tired but I want to let you know that it's been helpful and I'm hoping there's light at the end of the tunnel. My doctors believe the hypertonticity or spasticity from my stroke has been caused because my tendons in my left foot have shortened and this is what has caused my toes to clench together (like someone making a fist with their hand) and have made it difficult for my toes to actually separate. I can say though David that the physio I have been receiving has been making some difference and I'm hopeful that it will eventuate in my foot returning to some normality as I now have some separation in my toes from time to time. It certainly gives me hope for the future and my daily exercise regime (walking) is getting better with less pain in my knee, foot and leg. I was hoping prior to this rehab programme that botox would be the magic bullet I needed to get me back to some normality with the spasticity I had but my doctors advised me that due to the complex nature of the number of muscles in the foot that injecting botox in the wrong muscle would be unhelpful and diagnosed the tendons in my foot as the reason for my issues. So I just wanted to give you an update on my progress with this and to let you know to hang in there and try physiotherapy if you haven't gone down that track yet and see if it helps you as it has to some degree for me. All the best for the future David, keep up the exercise no matter how difficult it is for you and I would suggest that physio may be helpful for youm Take care. Warmest regards,
Michael
Noossville Qld
Thank you so much for keeping the conversation going. I'm just down the road at the Gold Coast and I've had some great help with physio down here. But as you would know, 99% is up to you and I'm generally spending two hours working through exercises every day. This battle with spasticity has been a long one; at first, it seemed to be everywhere, but now affects me in specific muscles. Over the last six months, I seem to have been chasing it around my leg, with it moving from the quadriceps to the hamstrings and now to the hip flexors. I target each affected area with specific exercises and, one day, I'll finally have it cornered! Like you, my foot is really giving me some grief at the moment - if the Enable Me crew can share some foot therapy ideas, it would be great!
I believe that the Feldenkrais technique has helped me overcome spasticity, The Feldenkrais technique is discussed in Chapter 5 of the book by Norman Doidge: "The Brain's Way of Healing".
Hi David, I had my stroke on the 4th October, 2004, was in hospital for 3mths & then had 1 year of physio after my discharge, returning to hospital 5 days a week. I also continued exercises at home after my morning with the physio & a on weekends. In fact, I was told that I was doing too much (?) but I thought I'd "get better" if I did them & the doctor used a term : "2 year window", so I thought work hard for 2 years to get well again?
My stroke was quite a bad one leaving me with no speech, unable to walk & little confused. I didn't get help for 23 hrs as I live alone & couldn't reach the phone. Managed to grab my mobile after much effort & somehow got my brother who thankfully, on hearing my grunts, rang the ambulance. I used to be a Paramedic so I knew in my foggy head, that I needed help & was glad when they arrived. I should've put this paragraph first but.....??
Anyway, all my doctors said I'd made a good recovery & called me a high functioning survivor? I can't use my right arm/hand, walk with a limp, have trouble remembering things or words, have fatigue in afternoons, am suffering depression & social anxiety. When they were looking into my stroke they found that I have a faulty Aortic valve in my heart which was replaced through open heart surgery a year after the stroke. I'm now waiting for this valve to be replaced in 2 or 3 years & have some added fatigue, shortening of breath (Congestive Heart Failure). I was having botox but my muscles thickened at injection site after 13 yrs & I needed a rest from everything.
So, to answer your question.....no, I'm not going to say it never stops but instead keep doing ALL that you can try to get better because you could be a lucky one! I hope so, good luck. Julie 🐶