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Post Stroke Pain

A stroke can lead to many serious problems, including numbness, weakness, paralysis and speech difficulties. Some patients also experience severe pain in one or more of the areas of the body affected by the stroke. According to John Hopkins Medicine, about 9 percent of people who have a stroke develop post stroke pain.

  1. The Facts

    • Post-stroke pain occurs most often in strokes which affect the left side of the body. It is also called thalamic pain, central pain syndrome or neurogenic. This pain develops when the central nervous system has been damaged.

    Symptoms

    • Post-stroke pain is usually unrelenting pain, burning, pricking or aching in nature. You may experience pain in the arm, leg, trunk or face on the stroke side. Some people have symptoms affecting one complete side of the body.

    Cause

    • Post-stroke pain can occur when the parietal lobe or thalamus of the brain are injured by the stroke. Damage causes sensory neurons to misfire leading to chronic disabling pain.

    Considerations

    • Symptoms may develop in a few days to a few years. Since symptoms don’t always begin immediately after a stroke, post stroke pain is often misdiagnosed.

    Treatment

    • Some pain reduction can be obtained from pain medication, but usually not complete relief. Other medications that may help are tricyclic antidepressants or anticonvulsants. Lowering stress may also help reduce pain levels.

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