Kevin, one thing that may help your comfort levels, is to try
soaking your feet up to and including the problem ankle, in
epsom salts mixed with lukewarm water. Use about a dixie cupful to a bathtub, or 1/2 dixie to a dishpan (if you don't use the bathtub). Do this when you get home from work. It will also relax you and help you deal with the pain. It improves sleeping. If you take only oral magnesium, and have some reduction in circulation to your feet, the oral won't get to them effectively. The soak will bypass that failure.

This can often help lower pain, and reduce muscle stiffness.
The magnesium soaks in thru the skin and can block the NMDA pain receptors. You need to do it for at least 1/2 hr or up to an 1hr. Take a book or magazine in with you.

Many of us do this, and also at the RSD forum also.

Thankyou for the tip, I will try this today!

Hi. I have not down this but guided imagery and relaxation tapes along with biofeedback. I too live alone and that is hard but try to distract when I can or do things like a bath to calm me down pain and mental wise. I think a lot for me with things like imagery so on is the person who is doing it and that it takes practice. There is this place on the internet I think it is called meet up and they have groups like this for healing. If you google it you should see and then you can put in your area. As for smoking. I know the battle of addiction so to speak and the vicious cycle. As you know with smoking it helps you in no way but it does fill something for you like you stated dealing with your pain so finding healthy ways to cope can really help.

Kevin,

I feel your pain and like many others do numerous things to combat the issues of living with PN. I've had it for 5 yrs. and did enjoy my 1st period of lower pain levels last Fall but when the weather changed, so did the PN. Therefore I have started the epsom salt soaks (thanks, Mrs. D!) as well as listening to an excellent guided imagery cd that includes affirmations. Both help especially during more painful periods.

The cd was recommended by my therapist. (As a side note, I have found my therapist to be a crucial part of learning to live with this frustrating condition.)

You can find an entire series of cd's at: http://www.healthjourneys.com
The name of this particular one is, "A meditation to Ease Pain," done by a psychotherapist, Belleruth Naparstek whose voice is wonderful and the music is very calming. It's about 45 minutes long (20 minutes of guided imagery and 15 minutes of affirmations) and I highly recommend it.

Good luck!
Doxie

Thankyou for suggestions, I am trying to find resources, and will probably explore this when I get with a counselor or pschiatrist. (Depression has also been an issue) I have found a couple of guided imagery sets on you tube and have tried those. I also read a suggestion, to concentrate on your pain as being a color - then a shape, to visualize the shape, then to change the shape in your mind. Not something that works really well at work, but at night laying in bed is has helped me with getting my mind off of pain and relaxing.

For example, I try to imagine the pain as the color blue, then as a blue triangle, then a pyramid, then a cube, then a box that stretches out and out and out until I cannot it stretching any further in my mind.

I also try to imagine myself at the beach in mexico, standing waist deep in warm water, feeling the cool breeze on my upper body and the warm water and sand between my toes. I try to visualize the sky, the fishing boats, etc etc.

As far as smoking goes, still working on it..

Imagery. self-hypnosis, exercise - are all good ways to distract the mind from pain.
We have one member (Wing42 - David) who has defeated his PN pain significantly thru Yoga. You might do a search on this site with "Yoga" and see what he's done.

Hi again. I just went back to a pscyh. I had been before many years on and off but not in the 2 years I have been dealing with this. Anyhow my mood lately and anxiety has been really bad so it was time to go. She did rx me some meds for anxiety/sleep and may add a muscle relaxer. So I was wondering if possible meds may help with you too since you made the comment of going to a psych etc? As someone who has been overtherapied I am not sure if that is word I do feel that coping mechanisms take practice to work in the best manner so don't give up. Also do you journal? I do not just a pain rating one but about my feelings and thoughts. It helps me get out some of the feelings I have. Hang in there and keep up the hard work to stop smoking. Take 1 day at a time