Pain after numbness

[JarodRussell]

Something I've been wondering for a long time. When you get numb legs, arms or hands by keeping a bad position too long, sometimes it incredibly hurts when it "wakes up" again. This is, to my knowledge, caused by stimulus satiation after your nerves have been pinched. As well as painful prickling when the blood circulation kicks in again.

So when it will some day be possible to treat and cure paralysis, would the patients suffer from incredible pain sensation for quite a long time? Because after all that time, your nervous system is on stimulus overload? If it's comparable at all that is.

 

[Snaploud]

Temporary paralysis is a recognized condition, so there is actually an answer to your question. People with temporary paralysis do indeed often experience extreme pain when regaining sensation, and that pain can last quite a long time during recovery.

 

[GalaxyX]

Most likely any cure of permanent paralysis would be extremely painful, and the recovery process would be long.

Still, better than no hope of recovery.

 

[varek]

Many amputees experience "phantom limb" feelings, where the limb used to be. So, when paralysis and loss of limbs can be overcome effectively, the patient will probably experience some pain. But, 24th century medicine has plenty of painkillers, so the patients then should be all right.