Nails Do Not Stop Growing After a Stroke

Rebecca Dutton
Home After a Stroke

February 14, 2016

CAUTION: 

CLIPPING NAILS REQUIRES GOOD SENSATION

AND COORDINATION

I live alone so I have to cut my nails. I cut the nails on my sound hand by operating an adapted nail clipper with my affected hand. I returned the small nail clipper shown on the bottom. The pointed end (see V-shape) dug into my palm when I pushed down. The short handle also meant I had to press hard to get enough force to cut my nail. I use the larger nail clipper shown on top. The end of the handle is square which is more comfortable. The longer handle gives me better leverage when I push down.

Notice the emery boards in the large nail clipper held by pegs that are tightened by hand. I use these emery boards often to remove sharp points at the corners of my nails. This is safer than trying to get the clipper into these tight spaces. The clipper came with four emery boards, but replacing them will be a challenge. All the stores near my home sell only wide, thick boards (pink board) that do not fit in the clipper. The Internet sells short 4 inch emery boards except for this link.

My sound hand cuts nails on my affected hand with a regular nail clipper. Spasticity in my affected hand makes my fingers curl. To straighten them, I prop them one-at-a-time on a the edge of an opened drawer. The open drawer allows my sound hand to get low enough to get a good cutting angle. I put a piece of non-slip shelf liner under the finger to keep it from slipping, but the shelf liner got in the way when I photographed my hand.

Bottom Line: I cringed when I learned the large nail clipper costs $37.50, but nails do not stop growing so I do not have a choice.

See the original article:

Nails Do Not Stop Growing After a Stroke

in

Home After a Stroke