20210122 : Recovery stages

So, this is what i have experienced/ observed as the stages in rehabilitation. 

Stage 0 is when you can neither move/ control the muscle. You can't even feel  it.

Note: these are not just the big ones we know of, like biceps, triceps, hamstring,calf etc. Its every hundreds of small ones we never knew existed.

Stage 1: is when they do passive movements. Just multiple movement of the same muscle. They supplement it with electric stimulation to trigger movement of the targeted muscle. It could take 6 - 8 months typically. Many of my left side muscles are still in this stage ,even at 2 years...

Stage 2: is when the muscle gets some involuntary movements. It feels really weird and crazy to feel some part of  you twiching uncontrollably..i am guessing this is when the brain is doing trial and error connecting and having fun. I have noticed it very short time for a few muscles and months for others. ..its not the reaction when someone touches or moves the muscle, it has to move on its own. I think right hand fingers do this ,but toes still in stage 1. Its absolutely weird when it happens on the face.

Stage 3: is what is Spasticity I think. That term has been thrown around as the default explation for anything and everything i have experienced. It feels even more weird. I guess the brain has hard wired some pathways and struggling with the rest. Nett result is you can move/ control some part of the muscle, not all of it. So, ex, my right triceps is going through this stage. It started in Mumbai. If the hand is held up in a certain angle, i can lift the arm up. So the triceps knows how to contract. But it cant loosen  after and i have to wait a few moments for it to naturally loosen, and fall back due to gravity. Its not like a cramp when you cant loosen. You can still feel the pain then. This is very weird when you can feel a muscle but just cant move it.

Stage 4: is when the circuit is complete. You can control fully but since it wasted  so long, there is neither strength or endurance for doing anything. It feels so miserable to know you can move it, but accomplish nothing. Thats when the physio makes you do things repeatedly and pushes you to gradually build strength. I am still battling with the 2lbs dumbbell for the left hand.. Some parts of my left hand are in stage 4 and some parts, like a good part of my arm (bw elbow and palm) is in stage 0. So are parts of my palm, just below my thumb etc.

 Its a very strange feeling when a limb has so many parts in so many stages of waking up.....the battle rages on......