Recovery of feeling in my fingers and thumb post stroke.

Hi Bob,

Thank you for reaching out. I am sorry to hear about your stroke and how it has impacted your sensation.

Changes in sensation can be common after a stroke. As you have described, there can be changes to your sense of touch, manifesting as numbness or other odd sensations like sandpaper.

At Strokeline, we are not a medical team so we are unable to say if what you are experiencing is indicative of improvement in recovery. Our suggestion would be to discuss with your neurologist, treating doctor or health professional regarding whether the progression of these altered sensations you have are a residual, and therefore expected, impact of your stroke or whether it is related to another medical reason.  

Treatment can involve sensory retraining which increases the brain’s awareness of sensations by exposing your skin to different sorts of sensory inputs. You may consider seeing an occupational therapist who is familiar with sensory retraining to tailor a treatment plan based on your needs.  is also something worth exploring.  

You can learn more about touch and sensation after stroke on our websites  and , or by listening to this podcast   

If you need further information or would like a direct discussion, feel free to reach out to Strokeline on 1800 787 653 or email .

Kind regards,

Bethany (Strokeline)