Right Sided Hemiplegia.. Pain in Left Knee

SaraC_Scope

Hi.

I have right sided hemiplegia and for the last 47 years have managed reasonably well with physical tasks. There are some limitations but with support, I’m ok.

This past year I’ve noticed pain in my left hand and diagnosed with arthritis. I was told this is general wear and tear. Recently my left knee has started to hurt and this weekend I’m in quite a bit of pain. I have a neurologist appointment at the end of June to talk through these concerns, but wondered if anyone had any ideas on how to manage the pain in the meantime.

I’m resting as much as I can, but as I rely solely on my left hand, it’s a challenge.

Thank you.

Sara

Richard_Scope

Hey @SaraC_Scope

I can speak on the knee pain aspect for sure. I often use ice packs to lower the swelling and try to elevate the angry knee when lying down.

Your left side will unfortunately be feeling the effects of overuse. When you have your neurology appointment it would be good to chat about Post-Impairment Syndrome.

Diet is important in so far as it can help reduce the body's inflammatory response and reduce inflammation in the joints that cause aches and pains.

Let me know how you get on at your appointment.

SaraC_Scope

Thanks @Richard_Scope I've reached out to people for extra support and trying to take things easy. I will definitely talk about Post-impairment Syndrome at my appointment. Will update you in a few weeks.

Thanks again.

Sara

Cplife

@SaraC_Scope

Hi I hempligia of the left hand side

I have just been diagnosed with wear and tear osteoarthritis in my right knee I have been put on a waiting list for an injection to ease the pain

Two things I do is

1. I use ibuprofen gel
2. Deep freeze cold spray

I hope this helps 😀

JudithL

Hi Sara, I hope your pain is manageable just now. I also have one sided hemiplegia, though it only affects my leg very slightly. The biggest, and scariest issue I've faced started in my mid 30s, I started having trouble with my left arm, repetitive strain injury I think. Like you, I rely on my left hand for everything. I got some phsyio help and now have some exercises that I can do if I need them. I also had to make some adaptations. So now I use voice recognition software which is a great help, (Ability net advised me about hardware and software, I can highly recommend them for tech related issues.) Some things I've had to adjust or limit or give up. It's something I never thought about having to face, but constant over use has a cost in the end. I think I'm just getting the beginnings of arthritis in my 60s… I'm sharing this mostly so you know you're not alone. Also, Richard mentioned diet. You can ask to be referred to a dietician. They would know how to help you adjust your diet in the best way for arthritis. People say it can make a huge difference. I hope your appointment goes well and they can offer some help and support. I always write a huge list of questions before appointments, mostly I've found Drs are fine about me working through my list.

SaraC_Scope

@JudithL Thank you for sharing your experiences. It's good to hear how others are managing. Like yourself, I've managed reasonably well my whole life. It feels strange to have these flare ups at 47 years of age, but I'm making some adjustments and having this appointment to make future life easier.

Many thanks Sara