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Lately I've been in an awful way, having trouble managing my daily activities and crashing very easily, feeling like the RSD is getting the better of me. I remember when I went to my pain management program in 03 they taught us to set up and prepare a flare-up plan. Between packing and all the stuff going on in my life I'm not sure what I did with my papers so I googled "Flare up plan" and landed on this rather positive site called Pain Support based in the UK. It has a whole range of great positive information and support for anyone who suffers from chronic pain.

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Jan Sadler, author of 'Pain Relief Without Drugs' published by Healing Arts Press, 2007, designed the PainSupport website for anyone with pain of any kind, their family, friends and carers. Our approach is multi-disciplinary, where conventional medicine and complementary therapies work side by side. All the ideas and techniques on this website can be used to enhance any medical treatment you may be having.

Here is what they have to contribute as a general flare up plan guide.

Quote:

Flare-Up Plan
At flare-up time you need a plan of action already in place so you will know what to do.

If you haven't already started learning some Survival Skills, such as diaphragmatic breathing or relaxation, etc. - check them out and begin today.

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Your Flare-up Plan
Firstly - don't panic!
STOP what you're doing and take charge of the situation
Tell yourself:

"STOP all those negative thoughts.
I am in charge here. I know what to do.
I can cope with this situation with my Flare-up Plan."

Your breath is the key to pain relief. Slow, regular breathing from the abdomen is calming and relaxing. It helps to release tension and pain.

Try the Pain Reliever below, and during the routine, remember to breathe slowly and deeply into your abdomen and, as you breathe out, imagine all the pain flows out with your breath.

Pain Reliever

STOP what you're doing - bring your attention to your body.
Check round your body for tension.
Breathe in healing energy.
Breathe out tension and pain.
Enjoy the feelings of peace and of being in control...
.. and smile on the outbreath.

Focus on the positive aspects of how to help yourself. Change negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Acknowledge that you may feel bad, but you know it will pass and you can cope.
Repeat affirmations - read or make affirmation cards. Use them hourly.

Be patient. Stop battling. Accept the situation and allow it to take its course. Go with it ... drift through time ... time heals.

Prioritise your tasks. Pace yourself. Break up tasks into small segments. Rest in between. Cut down activities until the flare-up settles. Be kind to yourself. Say "no" to any excessive demands upon you until you are feeling better.

Make time for extra relaxation, visualisation and/or meditation sessions. Find suitable tapes. See the Books and Tapes page for information on tapes. Check out the Relaxation, Visualisation and Meditation pages to give pain relief and peace of mind.

Talk yourself through the situation and identify your fears. Write them down and rationalise them. Talk it over with someone else - talk to your friends at painSupport.

Only go to bed if absolutely necessary and if the pain is so severe that you just can't stay up. Lie down for no longer than 18-24 hours.

Bed rest weakens muscle strength rapidly (you lose about 1% of total muscle strength a day), leaving you weaker when you get up, able to do less and more likely to make the pain flare up again faster. If you do decide to go to bed for 24 hours, keep yourself mobile with gentle stretching exercises.

Have hot baths if they help to ease the pain.
Use alternate hot and cold ice packs on the painful area if you find it helpful.
Always cover the packs with a towel so you don't burn your skin.
Try 3 minutes with the packs alternately, about 3 times in all.
Finish with a cold pack if there is inflammation.
Don't use cold packs for longer than 20 minutes at a time.

If it is your back that hurts, try taking the pressure off by resting face down on the floor with your arms by your sides. Lie like this for as long as is comfortable and until the pain subsides a little.
AND/OR
Lie on the floor with your bottom near a chair. Put your legs on the seat of the chair so your thighs are at a right angle with your body to relieve the pressure on your lower back.

Avoid resting too much and keep as active as you can.
However, don't be proud - accept any offers of help from family and friends for tasks that increase the pain or that you can't do for the moment. Begin a gentle Exercise regime as soon as you can.

Try to stay involved in the day to day activities in your household. Check out the quick and easy Recipes and the Nutrition and Diet page.

If you feel like crying - cry. If you feel angry, release the Emotion by shouting your feelings into a pillow and thumping it. Try not to focus on the pain or talk about the pain constantly.

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Focus on what you CAN do and not on what you can't do.
S - M - I - L - E ... Even if you don't feel like smiling, when you deliberately place a smile on your lips you will pass messages of peace and calm around your body.

TALK to your friends. See our Making Contact page.

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After the Flare-up has Settled
Review the flare-up as you come out of it to learn what you can from it.

Find out what you need to adjust or alter to avoid a flare-up in the future.

Make notes of ways of dealing with future flare-ups. There always will be flare-ups, they are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Now you know how to deal with them.

Obviously I would caution anyone with RSD not to use ice packs as suggested above. As a general guideline I think this provides a pretty good plan of action for a flare-up which can be adjusted according to your specific needs.

Here is a link to the main page. http://www.painsupport.co.uk/ps_home.html

I know many of us here are going through a terrible time with the weather changes and hope this can help some of you to cope a bit better.

MsL