Quote:
Originally Posted by nige1960
Hi Birchlake, By the way you were right.
Wasn't happy with my pain managment doctor, So today 06/07/2011 went to see a podiatric Surgeon who knew all about RSD/ CRPS, i don't Have stage 1 and the swelling in my Ankle might be as good as it get's, he told be on the safe side go back to your GP and get him to pass you onto a Pain managment doctor who deals with CPRS. I was in two mind do i have CRPS or not, glad i read your blogg. So there's two of us with toe problem , what type of Physiotherapy do you carry out?, i might as well start early.
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It was a good idea that you kept seeking opinions. This much I know:
This disorder is widely misunderstood, even by many professionals
The therapy I had was not so much directly on the toe, but on the entire foot and ankle. It was performed by the physical therapist. After a couple of months of that, the foot and ankle settled down considerably, but not the darn toe. It looks like Rudolph the reindeer's nose! He trained me for specific toe exercises that are mainly "range of motion" exercises. With the fusion, of course the range of motion is limited, but I always need to keep working against the CRPS as the toe wants to tighten up.
Just as in doctors, it is very possible that you might need to try a couple of therapists in order to find the one that is right for you. Not sure how your health care system works with trying different professionals. I had sessions with 2 therapists that were not so great. Third time was a charm. I found one that had a very good understanding of CRPS, was an excellent therapist, and was compassionate (necessary ingredient with this crazy thing). Therapy is a very fine line with CRPS. It is critical to keep things moving as best you can, but too aggressive of a therapy can be very painful and can also set you back. Slow and steady is the course of action; you may not see quick results. But it is very important in my opinion; the sooner you start, the better the end result will be.
Good luck!