Post-Stroke Pain

Each year, approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke, and it is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. It’s a condition where the brain is deprived of blood. Without oxygen in the blood, this can cause injury to the nerves in the brain.

THE CAUSE

A stroke can occur due to blockage (ischemic stroke) or bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke) of a blood vessel.  Some conditions that increase a person’s chance of having a stroke include: high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. A person’s weight, family history, tobacco use and certain medications may increase their risk of stroke.

THE EFFECTS

The brain injury that occurs during a stroke can lead to development of pain known as post-stroke pain. The level of post-stroke pain experienced depends on the intensity of the stroke and area of the brain affected. It usually manifests as pins and needles, tingling, burning pain, numbness and sometimes as painful cold sensation and itching or electric shocks. Patients report these in the extremities (hands and feet) on the side of the body affected by the stroke.

HOW WE CAN HELP

No standard treatments have been established to treat post-stroke pain due to their variable manifestation in different patients and their resistance to conventional pain-relieving medication.

At Cornell Pain Clinic, patients seeking pain relief do have options. We offer Spinal cord stimulation therapy and Ketamine therapy for satisfactory, long-lasting pain relief. Our pain specialist can evaluate the nature of your post-stroke pain and recommend a treatment plan best suited for you.