Hi !
I have had CRPS since Aug 2, 2012 . I had to have a sorta emergency operation for my faulty wire for my ICD ( pacemaker/defribulator ) the lead wire into my heart had "noise" ( a short in it ) so they did lead extraction , put a new wire in and replaced the box while they had me open .

Anyway , I woke up in recovery room with both hands and arms on fire and severe pain . Turned out while I was under on the operating table , the Nurse Anethesthtist was supposed to do 1 arterial blood line . She made 9 attempts on the right wrist , collapsed the veins on the right wrist so she move onto the left wrist and made 16 more attempts with that GIANT needle into the arterial vessel , then she finally got it in . For a total of 25 attempts for a arterial line . I ended up with massive hemotamas in both wrists / arms as she also did not apply pressure to stop the bleeding from the veins . I was black , blue & green from my elbows to my hands and now I have CRPS in both hands and arms up to the shoulders . The burning has spread to my central nervous system ( 1 month after operation ) and now I burn head to toe . Eyes , mouth private parts , just everywhere . The achy pain and deep pressure and stiffness , and deep burn is in the arms and hands .

I was able to get in with a good Dr . He has ordered PT for me and I started last week . I asked several times are you familiar with CRPS and how to treat , as well as how many has she treated . She assured me she has worked with many over the years .

My questions come in on treatment . The first visit with the PT she did an evaluation of me ( as ordered ) strength , movement - measurements of fingers etc... then she wanted my range of motion . I could not put my left arm up over my head . She asked me to see of the right went up and around , so I did it , and other stuff she asked me to do ( but I was burning and I told her that , but she just shrugged it off . Then she asked me to do a contrast bath for my right hand . I swear the water was almost boiling hot , I could not put my hand in it as it was too hot and burning me . She looked at me like why not ? I told her it was too hot and there was no way I could do it . She had me do hand exercises and waited a while and then told me I should try the contrast bath again . I got my hand in and kept it there with great pain for a minute then the cold water.

I got home that night hurting and burning . I could not sleep all night from pain and twitches in my right hand , I was up all night with pain and burning till I passed out at 10:00 am the next day . Called her on the phone and told her what happened and she said " good , now that we are over the initial pain from the first visit we can get on with PT "

Second visit was last night and she gave me all exercises and range of motion exercises . She asked when my next Dr Visit was and I said Dec 14th and she said she wanted to get my range of motion back . " my goal is to get your range of motion back " I asked well what about the pain and she said " pain killers will take care of that " I said to her " the pain killers don't even touch the burning I have '

Is there something I am missing here ? My Dr gave me a PT order to go to a PT of my choice . It is ordered for evaluate and treat and then is says stress loading - isometrics and desenzitation . None of which we are doing ??

She has me lifting 2 lb cans - walking fingers up walls ,making O's with fingers , shrugging shoulders , making circles with my shoulders , wrists .

I also informed her I read on the *edit* absolutely no contrast baths - so she took that off my PT .

Sorry for the long post . This is my first time posting and wanted to add in about my injury that led to this CRPS .

pasche