Download FND app Android Aapp IoS App
FND Links Feedback Donate Language
  • English
Home / Treatment / Treatment of Limb Weakness

Treatment of Limb Weakness

…..One of the things that patients with functional weakness often notice is that the severity of the weakness can vary over time…..

This section is based mainly on the authors own experience in trying to assist many hundreds of patients with functional weakness to get better.

If you haven’t read them yet, have a look at these sections before you read on:

  1. Functional Limb Weakness: It’s really important to understand that this symptoms are common, does not mean you are going mad or ‘losing it’, and are potentially reversible without medication.
  2. Understanding FND: It’s essential that you feel the doctor has looked in to your case properly and come to the correct diagnosis.
  3. Physiotherapy and exercise: This explains some basic principles behind rehabilitation and exercise for functional symptoms including weakness, pain and fatigue
  4. Psychological Therapy: If your doctor has referred you to a psychologist or psychiatrist you may be wondering why. Read this section to help you understand this.

Learning to overcome functional limb weakness …

We are still learning more about what kinds of treatment work best for patients with functional weakness.

Understanding it

It can be surprising how much impact simply receiving a clear and understandable explanation for the symptom can have. Often patients with functional weakness may have gone months or even years without a diagnosis (or sometimes with an alternative diagnosis like MS).

It can take a long time to ‘get your head’ around a problem like functional limb weakness. For patients that do start to feel better, doing this seems to be an important part of it.

Seeing how it fits in with all your other symptoms can also be an important part of understanding it. It can help to understand that your weakness is one symptom among many (usually pain, fatigue and sleep disturbance) and that you have one illness with many symptoms, not many symptoms caused by different diseases.

For this reason, it is probably the case that some of the treatments that are proven to be effective for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME and chronic pain are also helpful for patients with functional weakness.

These include

  1. Physiotherapy

2. Psychological Therapy

3. Medication to help pain and sleep

Specific things that come up in relation to functional limb weakness

…Try, as much as possible, to think about other things when you walk….

One of the things that patients with functional limb weakness often notice is that the severity of the weakness can vary in time. So on Tuesday you may feel that your leg is really heavy and dragging but on Wednesday the symptom is much more in the background. Variability is a common feature of many functional symptoms. If you think about it, its one reason why the diagnosis of FND makes sense. If there was structural damage to the nervous system, the symptom might fluctuate a bit but not dramatically as it can do with functional limb weakness.

There are several reasons why functional limb weakness can vary in severity:

  1. At times of greater fatigue
  2. At times of greater pain
  3. When you are thinking consciously about movement

This last one is worth some thought. You may have noticed that the more you think about moving your limbs the heavier and more difficult it can be to move them.

This is because movement works best when it is automatic. You don’t normally think about walking when you’re climbing the stairs or walking to the shops. In fact if healthy people do think about walking it often starts to go wrong.

Recognising this can help with FND treatment.

Try, as much as possible, not to think about your movements when you walk. Physiotherapists are not always sure what to do to help people with FND. Usually automatic movements that use both legs or both arms at the same time are better than exercises that really focus on the limb thats weak.

Remember that with FND you are trying to regain control of a limb that may not feel completely like ‘yours’. You may have got used to holding it in a certain way

People with functional arm weakness tend to cradle it on their lap, especially if its painful as well

People with functional leg weakness sometimes find that they sit with the ankle turned in.

These positions may feel ‘natural’ but they are not. Your brain thinks they are normal positions to be in. Your brain may have got used to the idea that one side of your body doesn’t feel the same as the other side.

The aim of treatment is to try to get your brain to experience normal natural movement again

Other treatments

If you’re feeling really stuck with your weak limbs then it may be worth trying hypnosis. Sometimes under hypnosis, normal movements can start to occur again.

Occasionally patients with severe functional limb weakness have improved during sedation with a general anaesthetic. This should only be carried if there is paralysis and your doctor has experience with this technique. It is not a ‘cure-all’ for functional limb weakness!

penis enlargement surgery how to get a hardon fast how to get a girl horny big man male enhancement from germany cialis vs flomax fxm male enhancement does viagra delay ejaculation testosterone booster 2021 viagra pills are safe gnc male enhancement side effects testosterone supplements bluechew pills asian male enhancement pills viagra best buy legit whats the best erectile dysfunction pill penis enhancement pills v natural supplements increase testosterone virectin walgreens what increases male libido places that sell penis enlrgment pills top ten male enhancements get sex free exercises for male enhancement best mens libido supplement big sex organ best pills for penis enlargement tirel testosterone supplements gnc review food increase sex drive male reserect professional male enhancement pills male enhancement pills with2 tablets penis enlargement pills best results fenugreek male enhancement naturamax penis enlargement pills mk penis enlargement oil giant bombcast penis pills red devil male enhancement review

types energy efficient windows andersen window mullion replacement home window repair canton ga window replacement in boston home window repair west palm beach florida double pane window installation cost home window repair tucker ga silverline by andersen replacement windows replacement garage door windows what do replacement windows cost yellow tail replacement windows vinyl replacement window styles anderson windows replacement screen door window replacement des moines polar seal replacement windows aluminum basement windows replacement viewpoint series 3000 replacement windows best replacement windows florida chicagoland window replacement rear window defogger tab repair empire state building window replacement energy efficient windows australia orange county window replacement window installation disk window replacement spokane wa window screen repair cleveland ohio florida building code window installation egress window installation chicago professional window treatment installation can broken glass be repaired window tape installation crestline casement window replacement parts window ac thermostat repair tuscany vinyl replacement windows replacing glass in window window replacement in memphis tn

how to take hemp oil cbd oil by mothers liposomal cbd oil cbd oil retailers san antonio tx autism cbd oil how long for cbd oil to leave system cbd oil cancer research cipn cbd oil hemp seed oil for cancer how much hemp oil for cancer hemp bud oil cbd oil buy uk sarcoidosis cannabidiol cbd oil on a migraine cbd oil brain damage is cbd oil legal in russian airports how much does cbd oil sell for does florida reconize georgia cbd oil card thc oil ingredients hemp oil laws thc honey oil for sale how much cbd oil for sex results of cbd oil and cancer cbd oil companies being sued how dk i know what mg pf cbd oil to buy is cbd oil good for fibromyalgia cbd oil hoboken nj does walgreens in elcotte city maryland sell cbd oil sparc cbd oil plus cbd oil gold drops carprofen and cbd oil interaction plus cbd oil capsules 15 mg cbd oil bird street value cbd oil better care drops cbd oil drops sold online 100 cannabis oil

keto diet foods are diet pills dangerous coffee and weight loss 50 boxes lipro diet pills bert kreischer weight loss weight loss pills philippines weight train to lose weight blac chyna weight loss after baby the martian matt damon weight loss diet pills dr g test cabergoline weight loss obesitrol diet pills reviews chili weight loss daily menu for keto diet best canned cat food for weight loss is keto diet good for your heart how to lose weight as fast as possible cenafil diet pills how does cocaine make you lose weight sertraline 100 mg weight loss can you lose weight from walking who sells alli diet pills how to lose weight vegan metformin er weight loss best proven weight loss pills what can i dr nk on keto diet legal weight loss pills weight loss pill qsymia different weight loss pills best weight loss pills at walmart leanspa diet pills one month keto diet what pill is good for weight loss diet pills that dr p weight fast grenade fat burning pills reviews extreme weight loss hosts