Another Thing I Did Not Know About Stroke

When I was an OT who specialized in stroke rehab I did not know the temperature of my hemiplegic foot could vary widely.  Two studies found a stroke survivor’s hemiplegic leg may have atrophy of the superficial femoral artery which reduces blood flow (1, 2).  This may explain why my hemiplegic foot feels ice cold by bedtime in the winter.  However, poor leg circulation does not explain why my hemiplegic foot is hot and red by bedtime in the summer, even though I have air conditioning.  My brain often interprets this high heat as pain so I walk barefoot with my quad cane which has four feet.  The quad cane forces me to walk slowly which is irritating!  A stroke taught me things I did not learn from an advanced certification course or experience treating stroke survivors.  homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

1. Durant MJ, et al. Superficial femoral artery atrophy and reduced lower limb blood flow in
    subacute stroke survivors. Stroke. 2020(Feb);51:ATP484.
2. Ivey FM, et al.  Impaired leg vasodilatory function after stroke.  Stroke. 2010(Oct);41:2913-2917.