I suffered a stroke earlier this year and am now recovering at home fairly well but I have been having shoulder and elbow pain on my left side for around a week now. At first I thought I had just slept wrong but now thinking it's something else?

Hi Tamara,

We are sorry to hear about the shoulder and elbow pain you’re experiencing. Pain in the upper limb can occur after a stroke for a range of reasons.

We recommend that you visit your GP so they can assess the type of pain you are having, the potential cause and talk about treatment options. If the pain is new for you, ruling out acute injury will be the first step. If the pain is an after effect of your stroke the GP is likely to refer you to a physiotherapist or occupational therapy. You can access therapy via a Chronic Disease Management Plan or referral to community or outpatient rehabilitation services.

After stroke, pain may be due to high muscle tone where the muscles are stiff and tight. Pain may also come from subluxation which is when the shoulder drops out of the socket. You can also experience nerve or neuropathic pain after stroke. You might like to read more on arm and hand function and pain management after stroke.

Please call StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST) if you have any further questions or would like to discuss the pain you’re experiencing with a health professional.

Best wishes,

Simone and Joanna, StrokeLine

Hi Tamara,

Bronny asked about shoulder pain. Here is here question: http://bit.ly/2HjaJBN perhaps reach out, you can by clicking on her profile.

Diana