Paralysis following stroke

[yellowjo]

My husband who is 48 had a stroke 2 weeks ago on holiday.  He is now back in the UK and is making progress.  My question relates to his paralysis on hi right hand side.  He has feeling but no movement at all.  I have been told he should make a full recovery which is great but I am struggling to understand how these limbs can start to function again?   Can anyone please help me?

[rachels_mom]

Is he in physical therapy?  My daughter had a stroke 4 weeks ago and her right side was the same as your husbands.  She is getting some movement back now but is in intense physical therapy, probably 3 - 4 hours a day.  It's just coming back very slowly.  She can now move her foot and her hand and wrist.  I think she's also bending her knee.  Good Luck and hang in there.

[oc1dean]

Another part of his brain will need to take over the control of those muscles, It is called neuroplasticity, your rehab doctor should have told your about this is he/she is any good at all.  NDT trained therapists have some additional training to help brain-damaged patients - ask for them.  After 2 years I am still making slow progress.  Some good books to read are
The mind and the Brain : neuroplasticity and the power of mental
force / Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley.
Train Your Mind, Change
Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to
Transform Ourselves by Sharon Begley
The brain that changes itself : stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science / Norman Doidge.
Search for neuroplasticity on the web, Mental imagery also seems to work.
Probably a good idea to keep a journal with even the smallest changes written down, there will be no major leap back to normality.
Dean

[Suri123]

Hi yellowjo, how is your husband doing? Has he been treated by a neurophysician at a specialty center? Has CT or MRI head been done and what is the cause for stroke? It is true few patients do recover fully or partially depending on the cause and the severity of the condition and it may take couple of weeks or months for recovery. Your attending physician can better discuss about the prognosis keeping in mind the evaluation and daily prognosis. Treating the cause and active physical therapy is more important. For more info on treatment aspects, click this link  
http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/page5.htm
Hope he gets better soon. Take care and share your thoughts.