Hi Kevin

Sorry your hands are so bad, it's awful when you can't get decent sleep, it makes you feel even worse... I hope it's eased a little bit by now.

How long have you had CRPS in your hands? Has it been under control before but got worse suddenly? Do you have a good paint management doctor? Sorry for the interrogation lol, just interested you can find lots of good advice on these threads if you have a look around. It's Christmas so the boards are unusually quiet!

Do you take Vit C daily? It's proven to help reduce the risk of spread to new areas and is worth taking. Try using some unperfumed Epsom salts - a few tablespoons in a warm bath, or wrap some in a damp cloth and put on your hands when they burn. It works quite well if you use it fairly regularly - magnesium is needed for all sorts of functions in your body and most of us don't get enough... it is absorbed well brought the skin, which is why it works well in water.

A couple more things that work sometimes for me are gentle exercises (maybe a soft ball to squeeze?), general aerobic exercise of whatever kind you can manage, and meditation. I was skeptical about it at first, but deep breathing exercises and a meditation are very calming, and stress is one of the worst exacerbating factors for CRPS. It really does help - I use the Mindfulness Body Scan - you can find it on YouTube. Give it a go, it's amazing how much stress we are carrying when we are in pain all the time... Whatever you do, stay away from ice on your skin as it is very bad news.

Good luck with finding something that helps a little, and keep posting It might be quiet right now, but we are a friendly bunch, honest

Take care of yourself, and Happy Christmas!

Bram.