Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimking
Mike it's really sad that Suzy will not ditch the brace. Her forearm has atrophy. Her skin is very pink, transparent, muscle tone is very thin. When she sits she rests her arm on a pillow. At GW hospital the doctor commented that she could not understand why someone with RSD would want something touching her injured area 24-7. I really don't know, but what I do know she is super protective of that area of her body.
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A couple of suggestions.
Has she tried Lidoderm patches? They help to provide some pain relief, BUT they also reduce the stimuli that can most aggravate allodynia such as fabric touching the skin, wind, etc.
Prior to the RSD onset I had been wearing a wrist brace for 2 years or so. After my 3rd surgery (the trigger for my RSD) I could no longer stand to wear a brace. I became very proficient in guarding my "bad" hand, though. I did it so often, that I end up causing my elbow to get worse, along with new pain in my right shoulder, trapezius, shoulder blade and neck.
Has she tried working with a pain psychologist? I don't think I could have broken my habit of guarding without help.
And lastly, finding the right combination of pain meds, in the optimal dosages, was key for me. I choose to limit outside stimuli by staying in my home, so that I can CONTROL my environment. Even a tens unit, for when she's in public, might be a good idea.
When I'm out in public, I now have coping mechanisms I learned in therapy (such as breath work) along with meds to help me deal with the pain and not further exacerbate my RSD by guarding.
Edit to add: I use a pillow for travel and at times at home--pretty much when my pain is elevated from unusual activity. If she's like this all the time--her meds are not adequate IMO.
I have very little atrophy at this point (it was much worse years ago) and while my range of motion is decreased, it's within normal ranges.