Dear Pacugirl -
Amazingly enough, I am also almost certain that icing my shoulder after my rotator cuff injury and surgeries either caused or may have significantly contributed to my RSD.....my pain was severe, and ice helped numb things up. So I used it all the time. From Nov 2006, when I was injured, through June of 2008, when I was diagnosed with RSD. I even had an ice machine that I could fill up and plug in and leave strapped on my shoulder throughout the night so I could sleep....
Ugh....if only we could turn back the wheels of time and undue things, huh??
Sandy
Quote:
Originally Posted by pacugirl
Just be careful about the constant use of ice. After my shoulder surgery, the only thing that would help my arm was ice packs and I used them constantly at home and while at work, round the clock becuase they were the only thing that gave me relief. From back injury rehab therapy I know that when you ice something, the cold impulses and pain impulses compete with each other when traveling to the brain up the spinal cord -so ice decreases the amt of pain felt. I thought the same applied with my pain after shoulder surgery.
I don't know if that was what triggered my CRPS or if it made it worse than it would have been without constant icing. Since then I've read that it can exacerbate CRPS or cause it. I've found that info in several places including Dr Hooshman who specializes in CRPS. I've pasted what he said and the source of the quote here.
Excerpt: Abstract. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is usually caused by a minor injury, and requires proper evaluation and multi-disciplinary treatment addressing the multifaceted pathological processes that evolve during its chronic course. Patient’s age, the nature of pathology, and mode of therapy influence the outcome of treatment. If at all possible, surgery, ice and cast applications should be avoided. There is a desperate need for research in proper management of CRPS.
http://www.rsdrx.com/Spread%20of%20CRPS.pdf |