Hi Tracy, it's horrible I know... I think we all suffer with this one. A few things I try that work occasionally are...

I don't use pain meds at the moment and haven't for months. They just didn't work, and the disappointment could be as bad as the pain at times. I found myself more scared of the drugs not working.

- we have leather sofas. I sit with my feet resting on the arm. It's cooler than my feet (lol) but not cold enough to make things worse (like my stone floor would).

- try wrapping a few tablespoons of unfragranced Epsom salts in a damp cloth and putting it on the burning area. Use lukewarm water for the cloth, not cold, it's soothing, and epsoms are amazing because they do actually help with the pain by blocking the calcium channels or something like that

- try moving around gently, I often find that after the first painful movements it really helps to move things around. CRPS doesn't like sitting still, and it always makes the pain more intense for me.

- epsoms again, try a lukewarm bath with a few tablespoons in. Light a few candles, put some calm music on. Glass of wine, bar of dark chocolate..... Sometimes really really nice.

- massage can be good. Use enough oil so that there's hardly any friction on the skin, and if you have someone around who can do it for you then take full advantage, but make sure they're gentle! I only use basic oils with natural ingredients and only essential oils etc. It helps with blood flow in the skin, which always stuffs with CRPS.

- meditation. I was soooo skeptical about this, but it can be good. Set the mood, nice smells, calm lighting, lazy music, and really concentrate on breathing in and out and where in your body your breath can reach. I've found it helpful at times to completely zone in on breathing and forget everything else. The pain hangs round in the background, but it fades and I feel more able to cope afterwards. You can download some free stuff from iTunes, and look for 'Mindfulness' tracks and exercises online - they are very good.

I hope something helps you, I know how miserable the pain can make me at times. Hang on in there and try to stay positive when you can. You're not alone

Bram.