Central Pain Syndromne- Stroke in the Thalamus area of the brain -Please reply

[SrikalaS]

Hello,
My father had got a stroke about 3 years ago due to which many brain cells in the Thalamus area were affected. He has Blood pressure and is Diabetic. 3 months after the stroke he started facing great pain in the leg, thighs , hands and shoulders followed by swelling of the palm and legs. There is also burning sensation and tingling/pressure and numbness in the feet and hands which he is not able to bear. We have consulted many many doctors but with no cure. He is being given anti-depressants, diabetic and blood pressure medicines. But the situation has worsened where he is not even able to walk much becouse of the pain in the thighs and legs.
Can you please please advice what can be done in this situation?
I was thinking of buying a Nuetrotrac rehab instrument for excercising and improving blood circulation in the limbs .. Whether it is advisable to go for it?
And what kind of medicines are usually prescribed for this kind of situation.
Please advice. Thanks a lot- Sri. If anyone of the similar situation also please reply to me regarding what treatments are being given and how are you facing the situation. As I am not able to see my father in this kind of pain. I would like to help him in whatever way I can .Please reply.

[Whitlow]

I have been diagnosed with a dead or totally blocked right vertebral artery.  The left vertebral is partially blocked and due to the location of the blockage, cannot be repaired. From what I understand, most blockages are progressive.

I'm having neurological symptoms including a few TIAs, visual disturbances, numb feeling of right side of face, head and neck, both my eyes are full of floaters - the right worse,  tremors, slight pain up right back of neck running under the skull, slight dizziness, became disoriented once in a place I know as well as I know the back of my hand (didn't know where I was) and the most irritating because it's with me all the time I can hear my pulse pounding in my right ear constantly but worse in the evenings after the evening meal.  

How serious is this problem?
Can it be corrected, if so how?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

The thalamus is an integral part of the brain involved in the processing of sensation. A stroke of a particular part of the thalamus can cause a half-body pain syndrome called the Dejerine-Roussy syndrome after a French neurologist and his American wife who described this in the early 1900s

Unforunately the pain is very hard to control, and comes from deep in the brain. Therefore standard pain therapies, and pain therapies that effect the limbs locally do not work very well. Centrally acting pain medications like tricyclic antidepressants and anti-seizure pain medications like Neurontin or Lyrica tend to be the better medications.

Due to the difficulty in treatment is is advisable to be under the management of a pain management center/neurologist. More aggressive treatment with internal brain stimulators or spinal cord stimulators/medication pumps can direct pain treatment closer to the site of origin. These are specialized procedure that need careful assessment for suitability, and are available at the larger centers, such as the Cleveland Clinic.

Good luck

[nobodysp]

So far my docs think the best treatment is neurontin though I do not remember it doing much. It does for some people with Central pain. I am on Zonegran now, and it does even less. Also vicodin, which also doesn't help much. Lidoderm patches are terrific, but don't cover a large area. If you get them on the right spot though, they can make a world of difference and are often the only thing making it possible for me to walk (most of my pain is in my hips and thighs). I am sorry I cannot comment on Neurotrac, I never heard of it. Good luck, and please leave a comment if you find something successful. I am quite desperate myself.

[jcverive]

Deep brain stimulation (of the thalamus) or thalamotomy might be the best options, although they are risky. Central pain syndromes are very difficult to treat, but if the diagnosis points to the thalamus then it seems like a reasonable place to go for a solution.

[SrikalaS]

Thanks a lot!! Can Nuetrotrac rehab the equipment can help in reducing the pain to a certain extent? whether it is advisable
Please advice.. As I am planning to buy one for my dad now

[gaylemh]

Hi!  I know what you are going through.  My mom had a stroke
2 1/2 years ago.  She has the same diagnosis, central pain symdromne, but I guess she is doing better than your father, it only affected her left hand.  We have been to so many doctors, have tried many, many medicines, physical therapy a few times, nothing has worked. The pain is constant.  Although she can't really describe it. I hope your father has better luck than my mom.  Maybe someone will  read the post and have a suggestion.
Gail