After having a stroke, a woman found herself unable to speak or move after she had stretched her neck.
Helen Farrell’s entire life changed overnight after she fell asleep and awoke uncontrollably.
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The 32-year old had been doing some stretching the day before and was moving her head side to side when she felt excruciating pain in her back.
It wasn’t until she woke after a brief nap that she realized the extent of the damage done.
The stroke resulted from the professional singer having torn an arterial when she was stretching her neck.
She According to the Manchester Evening News“I think the stroke took place when I was woken by my partner after having done some stretching.
“As soon awoke, I felt a tingling sensation in my ear. It was like tinnitus. I tried to stand but couldn’t move or speak. I felt violently sick.
“The doctors have now said that I had had a stroke which was from me tearing the main artery going into my brain when I stretched my neck.”
She distinctly remembers being on the ward, trying to sing, and then realizing that she had lost control of her vocal chords.
After returning home, the singer had to cancel bookings because she couldn’t perform as well as before.
Helen suffered from neck stiffness for many years. Her chiropractors showed her how to stretch at home.
When she was doing these moves, she suddenly felt pain at the base her neck.
The pain was so severe that she thought it was migraine-like. She took some painkillers and noticed the pain getting worse the next day.
To prep before a gig she had a nap, but when her fiancé woke her an hour later she found she couldn’t move or talk.
Helen stated that “He woken me up and I was unable talk. I was just slurring, and couldn’t get my point across.”
“I tried to move but my legs wouldn’t let me. Every time I moved I was swerving. Doctors told me I was experiencing vertigo. I was also feeling an intense rattling sensation in my ears.
“I could move my left arm fine but the right one was uncontrollably swaying everywhere, and I was being violently sick for about three hours.”
‘SLURRING’
They rushed to A&E where tests showed she had torn the main artery in her neck and had a stroke.
The teardown was interpreted by Medics as a bilateral vertebral arterial dissection.
She continues her recovery at home. However, she is devastated by the damage to her voice and hopes that it will recover fully.
You can recall the main symptoms of stroke by using FAST:
- Face– the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped.
- Arms– the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.
- Speech– their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them.
- Time– it’s time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.
A stroke is a life-threatening medical condition that happens when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
The less likely that stroke-related damage will occur, the sooner someone receives treatment.
You should dial 999 immediately to request an ambulance if you believe you or someone else may be suffering from stroke.