I can't have surgery to fix my shoulder til CRPS is under control. Can't seem to get CRPS under control til my shoulder is fixed.

What's a girl to do?[/QUOTE]

You sound just like me. It has taken me two years and a ton of different treatments to try to get my CRPS under control. It is finally good enough to have surgery for TOS, ulnar nerve transposition and DeQuervain's next week.

I haven't been able to wear long sleeves in two years. It's really hard b/c it gets cold here. I usually wear a Tommy Copper arm sleeve if I absolutely need to wear a long sleeve. I have a couple of other brands of compression sleeves (which is what you are making with your tights), but Tommy Copper is my favorite.

My arm gets swollen, painful and numb when it's hanging down for more than a few minutes. My doc told me to try a compression sleeve when I anticipate my arm will be down for awhile (especially when I take a walk) and to add in a sling (which just is a thin piece of strapping that hangs like a necklace and I can just slip my wrist in- instead of a full sling which is too confining). Other than if I'm trying to get some exercise and wear the sling I try to use my arm as normally as possible even if it is painful.

My PM doc said that once your pain goes up two points with an activity to stop and rest. Restart the activity when you are near your baseline. Often I push too hard, but I'm working on it.