Stroke
Changes to movement after a stroke
Loss of movement in limbs
Many people experienced partial or complete paralysis of the limbs on one side of the body following their stroke. Usually both the upper and lower limbs were affected, but occasionally only the arm was affected. This sometimes improved spontaneously over a few days or weeks after the stroke, but recovery can continue for much longer.
A few people recalled suddenly feeling a movement in fingers and toes and others making slow progress over some months.
He had been concentrating on trying to move his toe and suddenly got a twitch which he described...
He had been concentrating on trying to move his toe and suddenly got a twitch which he described...
No, I wasn't. I was, my right side was virtually paralysed. I mean, I could move my right arm to a certain extent but, as I said, it had a mind of its own so therefore I was helped to be fed. I, there are televisions in our local hospital and therefore I had a television set pushed in front of my nose, so I was able to watch the cricket. There was a test match on at the time. I was able to watch the cricket and not, because I was able to watch the television, I wasn't, I didn't mope, or didn't worry too much. I mean, there's not much that one can do. You're in bed, you can't move, what's the point in panicking and worrying? You can't do anything about it. I remember although on the last day I was in the, the normal medical ward, I was concentrating on my toe, on big toe of my right leg and I managed to get a twitch out of my toe. I remember calling, shouting out to the nurse, saying, 'Nurse, please come here, have a look at my toe, is that moving or is it my imagination?' She said, 'You've moved your toe' I said 'Wonderful' and of course from moving a toe, once you've moved a toe, you can move your, a few, a few toes. And I think I was well on the way to being, to be well on the, the way to recovery when I got into the stroke unit.
Lack of use of a limb can quickly lead to wasting of the muscles and several people commented on how weak the limb had become after just a few days or weeks. Limbs, particularly the hand and fingers, could also become stiff.
Recovery of strength, balance and movement in legs and arms usually required intensive rehabilitation with physiotherapists and occupational therapists (See 'Stroke recovery' Physical aspects and mobility').
Balance, coordination and falls
Weakness on one side of the body could affect people's balance, although balance problems could also be caused by the stroke affecting the part of the brain responsible for balance, or by sensory loss (including altered vision) or by the loss of coordination. One man suffered from a lack of balance and coordination due to damage to his brainstem.
Suffers from ataxia due to damage to his brainstem this results in lack of coordination and balance.
Suffers from ataxia due to damage to his brainstem this results in lack of coordination and balance.
Husband' Yes. I think when I talk about my stroke, I try to talk to people as if I'm fairly normal and forget what I need to tell them about how things have changed and what I've suffered. And I think very often they tend to assume that stroke means either left or right handed damage and in my case I have all the original muscular strength but I suffer from something called ataxia which basically means lack of co-ordination, so I can stand up and do things but I don't know, as somebody said, he can stand up but you never know next what your feet will do and I think that's quite useful.
Wife' You can only stand up if you're holding on to something.
Husband' Exactly.
Loss of balance affects both ability to stand but also to sit and some people were initially propped up with pillows.
Poor balance and lack of coordination could often result in people falling. To help prevent falls in the first few days people were advised to not move about unless supervised. In the long term falls could still occur and could be quite sudden and dramatic, sometimes resulting in broken bones. Using a stick, holding onto furniture while moving around, being more careful and moving at a slower pace all helped to minimise the risk of falls.
Coming to terms with loss of physical ability
Coming to term with loss of movement and mobility was extremely hard and some said that they just could not accept it. Although a lack of acceptance could lead to unrealistic expectations for recovery it also helped to spur some people on to get better.
Was initially quite depressed and could not accept that the stroke had affected her physically...
Was initially quite depressed and could not accept that the stroke had affected her physically...
Many wondered how much they would recover and how long it would take. Although many regained at least some movement and mobility over a period of months and years, others were left with limited ability to move their affected limbs and with limited mobility. Most people reflected that recovery of physical ability was a long process and although it might not recover completely they had recovered more function that they originally expected.
He had been told by a friend that it could take two years for him to recover physically and that...
He had been told by a friend that it could take two years for him to recover physically and that...
Although he is not back to normal he stresses that he has achieved more than he originally...
Although he is not back to normal he stresses that he has achieved more than he originally...
David was told by his doctor that he would never walk again, but in time he has regained some...
David was told by his doctor that he would never walk again, but in time he has regained some...
Last reviewed June 2017.
Last updated August 2013
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