The Pain Management Program at the UTHealth Houston Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease provides clinical care and research related to pain after stroke.
30 – 50% of stroke survivors are reported to suffer from post-stroke pain, however, it is often underdiagnosed, undertreated, or undiagnosed and untreated all together because of the care required for their other complex medical needs. Untreated pain after stroke inhibits the ability for stroke survivors to participate in critical rehabilitation programs, and leads to loss of function, worsened depression, cognitive decline, and adds to the risk of second stroke.
Pain after stroke happens because of different causes and not all post-stroke pain has similar symptoms. There are different types of pain reported after stroke, including shoulder pain (HSP), central post-stroke pain, spasticity and contracture related pain, complex regional pain syndrome (Type I or II), neuralgia, or headache. The onset of pain after stroke also varies, with patients experiencing pain days after a stroke and some not experiencing pain until months or even a year or more after stroke.
Our interdisciplinary team uses its expertise to assess and treat post-stroke pain. Our experience and knowledge fuel our research which aims to identify patients at risk for developing pain and to discover effective treatments to manage post-stroke pain. We strive to help stroke survivors improve function and enable their participation in critical rehabilitation.
The stroke recovery clinic occurs once a month. In this clinic, our multidisciplinary team provides an extensive evaluation of a stroke survivor and offers recommendations and referrals for their recovery.