You may have found one way to combat one of your stroke outcomes.

Is it effective for the symptoms of your stroke? How about for spasticity (the nerve control is messed up and the muscles become stiff and tighten up and resist stretching)? How about for excess tone in some muscles preventing motion? What else does (did) it help you with other signs?

After several years after the strokes, I was having more physical therapy. My therapist saw I could not lift my wrist because of two factors. My muscles lifting my wrist were very weak. My muscles which lowered my wrists had some spasticity. He recommended having one or two bouts with a BotoxTMinjection. It acts by paralyzing muscles for about 3 months. I was game.

Up to four in 10 stroke survivors suffer from spastic disability. You may recognize it as stiffness on one side of the body, often seen in a club-like hand or foot. You may lose your independence. Maybe you lose the ability to wash, eat, or even walk. BotoxTM has been used for years in stroke patients in combination with physical therapy. It allows some of them to gain back mobility and function in their muscles. Did you gain your function back?

Studies have shown it can be effective in treating spasticity. One research revealed BoNTA (BotoxTM) reduced spasticity and contractures after stroke and the effects lasted for approximately 12-weeks. BoNTA reduced the need for concomitant contracture treatment and did not interfere with the recovery of arm function.

I didn’t see the results that my physical therapist had hoped to have. I had two injections three months apart. For the six months which I had paralyzed muscles, my wrist could not lift up. In fact, I found that my affected wrist got weaker. I don’t know if it was because of the learned disuse of my wrist or something else. It was a “failed” experiment. I believe there is never a failure, just I learned that way didn’t work in me.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/dailydose/11/20/botox.stroke/index.html https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269215520963855 & https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051028142538.htm

Do you find that BotoxTM injections work for you? Paste your favorite emoji if this note is “A-OK.” Please give us your feedback. It is so dear. To your success!

#strokethivors #BDC

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