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Helping Others Understand: Post-Stroke Central Pain Info Sheet

It can sometimes be hard for family and friends to recognize how much post-stroke central pain may be affecting a survivor. We’ve created a quick-reference sheet that you can share with family and friends to help them better understand. Download a PDF of the fact sheet. See the full story: Helping Others Understand: Post-Stroke Central Pain

Fact sheet transcript:

What You Need to Know about Post-Stroke Central Pain Syndrome (CPS)

This pain is described as burning pain or hypersensitivity or pins and needles, typically on the side of the body that is numb.
The pain never goes away, but it can intensify.
CPS is unlike the tissue and peripheral nervous system pain that most people have experienced. CPS is the result of injury to the brain itself.
CPS does not respond to pain-killers. This may be because the nerve pathway that regulates pain has been destroyed.
Cold temperature may make it worse, as may movement, fabric on the skin or even the wind.
CPS sufferers may fear being stigmatized as someone who is exaggerating their condition.
Survivors with CPS may withdraw from family and friends to guard against unpredictable stimulation that may intensify the pain.
Believe your survivor, even though you may be unable to comprehend their experience: CPS is not a psychological condition.
It is not unusual for CPS and depression to co-occur. Treating the depression can improve the quality of life.
Listen to your survivor without judgement and believe what they’re saying about how they are experiencing their pain.
Chronic pain counseling for the survivor and for those living with and caring for them, may be helpful. Understanding the difference between adaptive and maladaptive coping is particularly important.
It’s helpful for those around the survivor to educate themselves about CPS, chronic pain and the interventions and strategies to help patients cope with it.
Do not focus on a magic cure or the idea of someday being 100 percent pain free.
Encourage your survivor to set reasonable goals.

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Stroke Rehabilitation

Making the Best Decisions at Discharge After Stroke

The type of rehabilitation and support systems a survivor receives at discharge can strongly influence health outcomes and recovery. In this, the first part of a two-part series on stroke rehab, we offer guidance for the decision-making process required when it’s time to leave the hospital.

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After stroke, about two-thirds of survivors receive some type of rehabilitation. Outpatient therapy may consist of Several types of therapy. Whether a patient is referred to inpatient or outpatient therapy depends on the level of medical care required.

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Following a stroke, about two-thirds of survivors receive some type rehabilitation. In this second of our two-part series, we want to alleviate some of the mystery, fear and anxiety around the inpatient rehab part of the stroke recovery journey.

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AHA-ASA Resources

The Support Network

When faced with challenges recovering from heart disease or stroke, it’s important to have emotional support. That is why we created a network to connect patients and loved ones with others during their journey.

Caregiver Guide to Stroke

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To find a group near you, simply enter your ZIP code and a mile radius. If your initial search does not pull up any groups, try

Tips for Daily Living Library

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Stroke Family Warmline

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Let's Talk About Stroke Patient Information Sheets

Let's Talk About Stroke is a series of downloadable patient information sheets, created by the American Stroke Association, that presents information in a question-and-answer format that's brief, easy to follow and easy to read.

Request Free Stroke Information Packets

Fill out this online form to request free information about a variety of post-stroke topics.

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Stroke & Parts of the Brain

When Stroke Affects the Occipital Lobe

Our occipital lobe, the smallest of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex, controls how we visually interpret our world.

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When Stroke Affects the Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobe helps us make sense of sensory information, like where our bodies and body parts are in space, our sense of touch, and the part of our vision that deals with the location of objects.

When Stroke Affects the Frontal Lobe

Of the four lobes that make up the cerebral cortex, the frontal lobe is the largest. It plays a huge role in many of the functions that make us human — memory, language, movement, judgment, abstract thinking.

When Stroke Affects the Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe has several functions, mainly involved with memory, perception and language.

When Stroke Affects the Brain Stem

The brain stem serves as a bridge in the nervous system. It sits at the top of the spinal column in the center of the brain. When a stroke happens there, it can cause a few different deficits and, in the most severe cases, can lead to locked-in syndrome.

When Stroke Affects the Thalamus

The thalamus can be thought of as a "relay station," receiving signals from the brain’s outer regions (cerebral cortex), interpreting them, then sending them to other areas of the brain to complete their job.

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Helping Others Understand: Post-Stroke Central Pain Info Sheet

What You Need to Know about Post-Stroke Central Pain Syndrome (CPS)

Stroke Rehabilitation

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