What to expect from physical therapy
 

Hello again. I am wondering what to expect from physical therapy. My RSD is relatively mild, and only in my foot and ankle. I never thought about it much, but I guess I assumed that physical therapy is used for people who need to expand their physical ability, and I'm not sure how I fit that category. I don't have problems wearing a shoe so long as it has cushioning. I can walk without a limp or anything, I just don't walk as far as I used to. I would be afraid to run or anything more active than walking. What would they have me do in pt?

Honestly...it depends on the physical therapist.

The key with RSD is to keep it moving. Hopefully they have you work on stretches and range of motion exercises. They might have you use exercise bands. They'll work with you to make sure your gait is correct. Things like step ups, step downs, toe raises, heal raises, etc. You might walk on a treadmill or use a stationary bike. They will push your limits and should try to give you as much functionality as possible. You want to do these things because sometimes we don't realize how much we want to sit or "take it easy" and that can quickly result in an increase in pain as immobilization is a very bad thing for RSD.

It's great that you are doing this even if things don't seem "that bad" because it means they caught it early and you could have a good chance at remission. No guarantees...but definitely take the physical therapy seriously.

Couple of things to be aware of:

1. NO ICE! Very bad...could cause your RSD to spread or get worse. HEAT is what you want...maybe ask them about ultrasound therapy or stim at the end or beginning of your sessions. These can help ease any increase in pain from the therapy. They don't work for everyone but if they do for you then that's great.

2. Do not let them push you until you can't move. That's not good. You need a good balance between pushing yourself to do as much as you can...but not so much that you flare up your pain really bad. Hard to describe...but speak up for yourself.

3. Ask about exercises you can do at home and try to do those every day even in between sessions. Anything you can do every day is going to help you get as much out of the therapy as possible and hopefully keep things from getting any worse and hopefully lead to a much quicker recovery.

Good luck and take care.

Thanks for taking time to reply, and for all the good information. I already know about the ice because I saw that on the forum. Before i was diagnosed with rsd, a podiatrist had me try "contrast baths" to increase the circulation because of the coldness of my foot. It wasn't ice, just water from the faucet, but I still hated it. If my foot gets cold it seems like it takes all night under a blanket to warm up!

Hi Ccm47
 

I just wanted to say hello. My son is an OPT, and he has alot of experience with therapy. He says to me most of the time...."If it hurts don't do it" I believe him. I hope the PT helps you to be more mobile. I do mild excersices for my Foot and ankle, and don't over do it. I wish you all the best. ginnie

Hot and cold contrast therapy is nearly as bad as ice. It left me with permanently damaged blood vessels and severly restricted flow

I have a mild case as well. It was caught early and I was thrown in to PT. I had a great PT. They shouldn't push you too hard, but make you work it.

They had me use a TENS unit, massage and also a lot of gait exercises and strengthening because I was in a boot for a stress fracture. Stuff like toe raises and step ups.