Stroke: Preventing Injury in Affected Limbs After a stroke, you
may not feel temperature, touch, pain, or sharpness on your
affected side. You may have: - Feelings of heaviness, numbness,
tingling, or prickling or greater sensitivity on the affected
side. - No sense of how your muscles and joints are operating
together, which may affect your balance. If you cannot feel an
object, you may be more likely to hurt yourself. - If you have a
tendency to clench your fist on the affected arm, keep your
fingernails short and smooth so that you do not cut yourself. -
If you cannot feel sensations in your feet, cut and file your
toenails straight across so that you do not scratch yourself.
Soaking your hands and feet may make your nails easier to cut.
If you have diabetes, talk with your doctor about the care of
your feet. If you cannot feel heat on your affected side, you
may be more prone to burns. Tips to prevent burns include the
following: - Test the temperature of bath water or dishwater
using your unaffected side