Curled hands and/or feet?
 

I was wondering how many of us have muscle cramping that causes clawed hands and/or feet...

My answers are yes to everything... I don't know what happened but is says no on my having RSD in your feet? I DO...that's where mine started.

Dubious...

Thank you for letting me know that you too have the curled hands... I was told that my curled hands were not normal for RSD....:eek:

I had to kind of laugh when this was said to me... I had to shut my mouth real quick as I wanted to SCREAM... NOTHING about RSD is NORMAL!!!

This is what made me curious to see how many others had these kind of things going on too....

Thank you to EVERYONE participating in this poll... nothing scientific here... just plain old curiousity...

:hug:
Abbie

I checked everything except for curled hands, feet, muscle cramps in face, organs, mouth, eyes. Everything else was a yes.

Having a hand contract into a claw and feet that drop downward, twist to the inside or outside and/or toes that curl under happen to many people. Sometimes it's due to the muscle atrophying and contracting because of non-use and sometimes fingers and toes will bend in odd positions because of severe muscle spasms.

Hugs,

Karen

I checked every box apart from the RSD affecting my face, organs, torso and muscle spasms in my face.

I have Dystonia which is a movement disorder thought to be a complication of my RSD. My left leg which has RSD is severely rotated out to the side in eversion and my toes also curl under me. It has been like that now for over 2 years and no ammount of therapy or medications will help it. My Doctor wanted me to try Botox but no doctors will do it due to the complications I had from the nerve block (it caused me to lose my balance and co-ordination and a toenail removal also caused me to develop myoclonic spasms).

I also have RSD in both arms and my right arm curls up into a fist when it is in a severe flare. Thankfully, it was caught early and I had lots of PT which helped me move it again. It still goes into a fist but most of the time, I can move it a little thankfully.

The myoclonic spasms that I have are REALLY painful and frustrating. My leg jerks up and down without me being able to control it. My doctor has tried lots of muscle relaxants to try and control it but nothing has helped so far.

Sorry to hear that so many of you suffer from this also!:hug: I know how hard it is to deal with all of this at times so if any of you ever want to talk, please know that I am here for you!

Alison.

Abbie... this sounds like it might be carpopedal spasms, which may occur with extremes in electrolytes calcium/magnesium.

Here is an article about it.
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/003194.htm

A few of the TOS members in the past have also mentioned "claw hand" - for them it was from pressure on the nerve causing the hand/fingers to curl and distort.

What I couldn't check was spasming in the upper leg muscles. I have RSD all over my legs, from the ends (toes) upwards. When I get breakthrough pain, I feel it most in both big, upper, leg muscles, they will hurt like hell. Esp. the right muscle spasms a lot. I also have problems with my feet. When they're not in shoes (and damn shoes aren't comfortable) and when not put into position, they tend to want to claw inwards - and there's a lot of tremor. I got exercises for that a long time ago so I'd keep them straight and I sat for years with extended legs and feet against the wall - it beat having them taped! I seem to have the clawing mostly with the right foot (feels like a loose ankle with one side wanting to extend more than the other). I have to think at how to put the foot down, keeping it steady all the time and making an effort to do so (and there's nerve damage in the area). I also need to have corrective footwear, for support. My arms and hands are still being treated so I'll have to wait and see.

Curled hands and/or feet?
 

Yes,I also went thru months of pt trying to solve the curling of my hands. It was so strange to think that my surgury was done on my small L toe,then spread up my leg to all over my body. I have now had full body RSD for over 7 years now. I also cannot understand why there are still so many Dr that do not know what RSD is? Every single time I have to been admiditted to the hospital,which they have all my records there. They still act so dumb and ask the same ? over and over again. So what are you here for again? What is RSD,who told you that you have it? so what are we to do? It drives me nuts! I have only gone into the hospital since I was dx with RSD,three times. That is in over 7 years ogo. Well I guess I have gone on enough for now. Take Care Everyone! Breezy55 :deadhorsebeat:

Being new to CRPS I was wondering, I have it in my right leg. Only a few of my toes so far curl under, is this "normal"? Even tho nothing about CRPS is normal, has this happened to others? I can with high pain uncurl them and some days they don't look that bad.

Thank you everyone... This poll is quite interesting to me... feels good in a sad way that I am not alone.

I was beginning to think that I was weird as I have all of these things... and stress makes them worse. I've even had my neck muscles basically quit working....doesn't hurt but I can't move my head with out turning my whole body.

Louisa... My toes on my injured foot were the first place I had the curling under.... I had a case nurse that told me they were hammer toes... I, along with a friend of mine who was present both said... they NEVER curled under before RSD.

I've had my hands and arms curl up and spasm so bad that I gave myself a black eye...:eek:

I have also been awakened in the middle of the night with my whole body cramping and me rolled up into a ball..:eek:

Thank you all for participating in this completely unscientific poll.... it has really opened my eyes.

:grouphug:
Abbie

Breezy,

My rsd also started with surgery on the little toe on the left. Actually, I was always breaking the little toe. I wouldn't do anything but tape it to the other toe and go on. Soon it was snapping while I was sleeping at night if it got caught on the sheets. From there I went thru 9 surgeries, 3 massive infections, a vac pump on my left foot where they removed all the flesh from the top and bottom of the foot, to spreading the the right foot, then up both legs, then 2 scs units, last one left me with a MRSA infections, nursing home, and rsd in by back and sides, and right shoulder. My PM said rsd wasn't in my back and order mri of my back. surprise, surprise, he was wrong, but he did admit it. He said he really thought that I had back problems and not rsd. They don't understand rsd has it's own type of pain. It is now in both hands, and nothing has happened to cause it to spread. Oh well, I'm not letting it get me down. (much). I just booked an Alaskan cruise with my BFF for Sept 2010. Just us 2 girls...Hubby said he thought I deserved a break and as someone has to stay home and take care of the horses, dogs, cats, etc. he said to grab my bff and go with her. Yeah

Mary
:grouphug:

abasaki, sometimes i think we are twins..LOL

i checked them all...

mike

My tos surgery 20 yrs ago released my arm and leg. little use of armand curled in, leg was curled and dragged. i had rib resection w/ sympathectomy, scalenectomy, neurolysis of nerve root and brachial plexus, I don't know what of these things helped it. When i get stove up and they turn in some i go to Chiropractor and it helps alot.