Hello,
This is my introduction to the board.. and CRPS is what brought me here, so this is where I’ll introduce myself. I’m 29 years old and I was diagnosed with CRPS about 3 months ago, although I’ve had symptoms for about 6 months. I’ve had a series of injuries that relate to this.. I’ll attempt a cliff notes version.

In Feb 2012, my great dane took a flying leap onto my bed from 6 feet away and landed on my left knee. (Feel free to laugh!) For all the swelling and bruising, some popping, many diagnostics later.. the diagnosis was a bad contusion with fat pad impingement – which is a common runner’s injury but can occur with trauma. Steroid injection, 6 weeks or so of PT and I was ALMOST walking normally again.

I went from “light duty” to normal function at work, and was almost instantly injured on the job. A large dog dragged me, resulting in an MCL injury on my right knee, and a re-sprain of my left. My employer (who thank goodness I no longer work for) gave me a very hard time about filing for W.C. and treated me differently from that day forward. Same things.. MRI, joint injection, more PT this time on BOTH “KNEES & HIPS”. Following the incident at work, I was using crutches like a walker. Both of my hip joints were popping constantly (still do). Finally, I did the things that helped strengthen my legs and get me back to as close to normal as I had been. I took a leap and after some really horrible things happening at work, I left that job to begin searching for greener pastures. I then began riding my horse again- the thing that makes my happier than anything in the world.

After a month or so, I was strong enough to attempt the focus of my discipline – jumping. A freak accident resulted in a very bad fall. When I landed, my 1400lb horse galloped over my left knee. My first thoughts were “This can’t be happening..”. My boot was cut off my leg, and I was carried into the car and off to the ER I went. Somehow, she did not fracture anything. I also learned that I had attempted to catch my fall with my left thumb.. bad idea. That was casted. I lived with an immobilizer on the leg and cast on the hand (same side) trying to use crutches for the first week (Does not work very well). The pain and swelling in my leg was intense.
If you’ve read this far.. you’re amazing.. so I’m going to fast forward. My surgeon was very slow and conservative about everything. I finally started PT formally after 3 months and my CRPS symptoms had started.. but he had not diagnosed it as such yet, because he was focused on the fact that my pain could be coming from my crushed saphenous nerve (runs along the inside of the knee). I asked for a referral to pain management and he asked me to wait and see what PT did for me. (What does that have to do with anything? PT is great.. but it is great in combination WITH pain management..) 4 months later I FINALLY had an MRI. Findings were: severe bone bruising of both tibia and femur, sub-q fluid in the tissue all over the inside of my knee, fluid under my patella, damage to my medial meniscus, and bone marrow edema . (Two of those consistent with the crushed saphenous nerve). By this time, my symptoms were becoming far worse and at an alarming rate. The symptoms were also spreading to my right leg, and within the next month started to move to the left thumb. I have burning pain, swelling, intermittent color changes, electrical sensation (like BAD pins and needles or being stung). On the left leg, the entire are that was crushed is very abnormal and hypersensitive. Blankets, tight clothing, shaving, lotion – hurts HURTS.

Worst of all and this ruins my nights is HEAT. I know that not all of us CRPS patients are alike and some of us have sensitivity to heat & cold. For me, it is heat.. and I am greatly helped my icing my knees.. JUST my knees. When I shower.. my legs turn into an interesting water painting.. flaming red at the knees, then splotches of red, purple streaks, and very purple toes. When I’m cooking.. standing at the oven brings on the causalgia and suddenly I’m on fire. I can’t put heat on in the car on my feet, no matter how frozen, because it will ruin me for hours – potentially the rest of the day. Starting in the afternoon, as the pain worsens, I ice whenever I have to. At night.. to get to sleep.. I literally have to ice both knees to the point of being numb.. then hope to get to sleep before they start burning again (5 minute window).

I am finally in treatment with a great Anesthesia trained Pain Management doctor who I’m liking very much.. her whole staff has been wonderful. My Therapy at the moment is formal PT once per week but twice more on my own, weekly Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks (bilateral - I just had #2), and medications. The results of my first LSB were extremely good, and second one not very good at all despite great pictures on the fluoro and temp readings (all proof of success in technical terms). I’m trying with all my might not to be discouraged.. but I don’t know how to stop myself. Tonight is a very bad night on the pain scale.

Meds are: Gabapentin.. still being titrated. Frustratingly my surgeon had me at a stupidly low dose that wasn’t touching my nerve pain. So I just got up to my therapeutic dose of 2400. Tramadol which I take as needed at night only. Zanaflex for muscle spasms in my back. Amitriptyline + Topamax for migraines. I have athsma as well.. and I found it interesting to hear from my doctor that both migraines and athsma are shown to be predisposing factors for CRPS.

I tried to make this “Cliff Notes” and it ended up as a novel. My apologies! If anyone else is going through or has gone through LSB’s.. would love to hear some more feedback. Also interested in others that have CRPS in knees. Happy to have found this board!

Cheers,
A