I have pins and needles in the bottom of my foot and left hand that are painful, is there a way to relieve this?
Doraon October 26, 2021
2 ResponsesI had a stroke 7 weeks ago
2 Responses
Hi Dora,
Thank you for your question. I’m sorry to hear about your stroke and the pain you are experiencing. You may be feeling worried or frustrated, but know treatment and support is available. With support, unpleasant sensations can improve.
Touch and sensation can change throughout the stroke recovery journey. You may have numbness at the start, which can develop into pins and needles or unpleasant sensations such as pain. This may be related to your brain starting to process sensory information but misinterpreting information.
I would encourage you to speak with your GP. Your GP can:
- Make sure you have a diagnosis.
- Make sure there are no health or medication issues causing the changes.
- Refer you to specialists such as pain specialists/ clinics and allied health therapists such as a neurological physiotherapist or neurological occupational therapist for sensory retraining.
Sensory retraining is a therapy that aims to retrain sensory pathways and get unused pathways working. Therapy aims to improve sensation, and to help you adapt to changes such as unpleasant feelings.
Improvement relies on neuroplasticity, which is our brain’s ability to change and adapt. After a stroke, pathways in the brain can change so that undamaged parts of the brain can take over the jobs of damaged areas. Repetitive training is needed to help the brain build new pathways.
You can visit these websites for more information:
EnableMe blog- Touch and Sensation
SENSe therapy website including where I can get sense therapy
EnableMe podcast- Touch and Sensation
Finally, remember that any sudden, severe changes in sensation, or paralysis can be a sign of stroke. If this happens, call triple zero (000) immediately.
If you would like to talk with one of our friendly allied health professionals, please contact StrokeLine 1800 787 653 or email strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. Our operating hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEST.
With kind regards,
Kath, StrokeLine
Chances are its nerve pain , caused by the stroke , I have numbness to my whole right side , you actually dont get paralysis , where theres no feeling at all , you get nerve failure and the tingling sensation is your main nerve trying to communicate and send messages to you brain .Its very complicated to explain in a letter .
Loading reply form...