coupe

hi Jayne, so sorry to read of your mini-stroke and subsequent pain. afterglow is correct in that the muscles may be weakened, and not support the shoulder? this is called ( subluxation) I think? pretty sure. my stroke was a massive one, affecting my left side. on November 2nd. will mark the 14 year point since my stroke. as afterglow says, the pain may subside in a few months? my experience is, not sure if it subsides or if you just kind of get used to it? I still have pain in my left shoulder/upper arm! yes occupational therapists can give you exercises for your affected arm/shoulder. having spent 30 months, in the hospital and rehab following my stroke, cause my stroke wasn't a traditional stroke? as caused by a clot or temporary obstruction of blood to the brain. my doctors say my stroke was a traumatic massive stroke from a crushing work accident, causing a complete carotid arterial dissection. meaning, my carotid artery broke apart? blood clotted between the parts? blocking all blood from the carotid from my brain, nothing can be done to resolve this? there is no more blood going to that part of my brain today than there was at time of my stroke?

in my 14 years post stroke I've had hundreds, maybe thousands? of hours of therapies. both physical and occupational I can tell you those exercises HURT! trying to get your affected arm to or past the 90% point. you might ask your occupational therapist about an F.E.S. unit? which stands for, I forget? if it's fundamental electrical simulation? or functional electrical stimulation? anyway, it's quite similar to a T.E.N.S. unit? which is used for pain, stimulating the nerves. an F.E.S. unit is used to stimulate muscles. it work off of AA batteries and is set to send slight electrical signals to muscles causing them to contract then release. I used one approximately 2 years after my stroke, put it on each morning when I got up, it was set at like 15 seconds on then maybe 10 seconds off. which means every 10 seconds an electrical current would cause my shoulder to raise to appropriate level then would drop for 10 seconds. this current you can feel but not at all painful! only like 6-8 volts? 2 AA batteries worth this stayed on all day til going back to bed. the unit clips onto your belt or waistband of your pants? has 2 wired stick on electrodes that stick on top of shoulder and on shoulder itself. actually feels pretty good as your shoulder raises then drops.

in the meantime, to ease the pain while lounging around your home, you might try placing a pillow under your elbow as you set. holding your arm up, so as not have the weight of your arm pulling down on your shoulder.subluxation is measured by the distance between the socket of the shoulder to the bone that goes into the socket. my subluxation, was measured at 3 fingers after my stroke some 14 years later it's measured at 1 or 2 fingers, depending on size of fingers of one measuring? still have pain but more used to it I think? as for pain medication? I take a total of 133 pills per week. though haven't taken a pain medication of any kind other than regular aspirin in over ten years

I hope this may be of some help to you? the impairments and pain in the aftermath of stroke is something I wish nobody would have to endure?

if only we all could be so lucky!

may god bless us all

Larry/coupe

__________________
happiness is a way of life, not a goal in life, success comes in cans not can'ts