Stroke Patients??

[kithic_kithic_kithic]

Ok so here is my little dilema. I recently acquired this Cl. who had a stoke not to long ago and has no movement/feeling in her left leg. I was not to sure on how to handle that so I have been doing just some light swedish strokes to the affected leg and then normal deep tissue to the rest of the body. She also has what I am now thinking is just pirformis syndrome instead of sciatica which is affecting her right leg. Now here are my questions, am I doing the right thing by just doing light work to her "dead" leg or should I just avoid it all together and are there any other test to rule out sciatica besides for the straight leg raise? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[KnottyPine1213]

Light work on her left leg is great for circulation and muscle tone.  It will help.  Just watch out for signs of blood clots (swelling, redness, pain...).  Passive movement and light stretching will slow muscle atrophy.  Stroke victims can continue to regain function even years later, so always be hopeful and encouraging.Is she able to walk?  Stand on her un-affected leg?  Her "good" leg is going to be taking on a lot more work, and more sitting is going to give her tight hip flexors and hamstrings.  Sciatica is pain along the sciatic nerve.  It can come from very tight muscles (piriformis for sure!), injury along the nerve at some point, or irritation of the nerve root at the spine.It could be just soft tissue causing sciatic pain, but it's always wise to have it checked out by a doctor.  An X-ray or MRI (if severe) can rule out spinal issues.  If it's a spinal abnormality in the lumbar region, massage can help with the symptoms, but it isn't going to "fix" the sciatica - especially with her recent lifestyle changes. How old is she?  If she is over 65, many doctors won't seriously look into the "cause" of her pain and will opt for pain relief measures.  They assume it's a result of normal spinal degeneration and lack of movement.  It becomes a quality of life issue with the risk/benefits of surgery/medication.  You're there to help with her pain relief and rehabilitation.  You can encourage her to look into the cause of her pain, but be careful about crossing the diagnosis/treatment line.  Do what's in your ability to help her heal, ease her fears, and improve her quality of life.Best of luck,Katykangaroo

 

[paulcrsm]

Stroke Patients??

Cheers for Katy!!! Right on the money. Do what you're doing. You can massage. You cannot dx. You can work on tightness in overused muscles and gentle rom to affected leg. What a wonderful gift you are giving this woman! ;D

 

[Marilyn]

I am missing something what are we presuming she is trying to dx? Is it the piriformis issue? Because we can certainly check for those things on our clients. Is she coming to you on a referral from her Doc?  

 

[antivirus]

After my father had a massive stroke, his doctors encouraged light massage on the effected body parts as well as a "regular" massage for the the other side of his body.