Pool PT for cold CRPS, water temp?
 

At my first PT session the therapist said she wanted me to walk in a pool everyday. Sounds great, but while there are many pools near me, most are not heated. My CRPS is cold so I can only tolerate warm temperatures.

Has anyone with cold CRPS used an unhealed pool for therapy?

Your thoughts, experiences would be appreciated.

It should be water water pt.. If my memory is working the temp range is ideally 88-93 degrees. The Easter Seals pool i went to was a sweltering 97 degrees. Sometimes it was too hot, sometimes it was too cold. My body temp can be highly dysfunctional...

Hi Bio,
While I was going trough message therapy they used a waxing therapy. The warmth felt very relaxing to my CRPSy hand but the messages didn't after the warmth wore off. So my suggestion is try to find a heated pool before taking the "plunge" sorta speak...

Hi BB,

When I did Aqua therapy, the practice had partnered with a nearby YMCA that had a small heated pool. It is worth calling around. You may even be able to find a pool at an assisted living that has public for a fee hours. When they have pools, they tend to be on the warm side...

good luck!

I definitely noticed a difference between doing exercises in heated v unheated pools. I felt much more achey in the unheated pool. Even if it's a farther drive the heated would be worth it for the difference.

hi biobased. i did water therapy in a pool for a few months, but it was not warm enough and they wouldn't make it any warmer so i had to stop. i had cold rsd and i couldn't take the water being that cold. it caused me more pain. that was a few years ago. now i have cold and hot rsd. they fluctuate all over my body so i try to do home exercises that my pt prescribed (simple stretches and short walks). they help manage my pain a little. maybe your pt can do the same. i hope you find some relief from your pain soon. soft hugs.

I meant warm water, not water water! An example of me repeating words like I brought up in another thread. Sorry!

I am fortunate to have an aquatic center about 25 miles away that has several pools ranging in temp, including a warm water therapy pool. I took their classss for a few months in the warm pool but I found because it was only 4 ft deep... The impact on my foot was making me unable to do many of the exercises. I tried the deep water class which was amazing!!! You wear a floaty belt and the whole class is in the 9ft deep area, so no impact on my foot.. The down side was this class took place in the "normal" pool and some days the water was just too cold and I had to skip that days class. I'd spend the time using a noodle like a horsey ride and float around in the warm pool.

The center is closed for repairs for 6 weeks atm and it is killing me=( I need that place more then they know. It is so helpful for my cold RSD. It doesn't take the pain away but it helps tremendously. It's 9$ per class also and my WC won't cover it... So it does get a bit pricey if I go a few times a week. I would go everyday if I could afford it. It is the one place I get some time to relax my foot muscles and get some relief. It usually lasts about 3 hrs after being in the pool 1-2 hrs but those 5 hrs are the best hours of my week/day.

Most days, my pain level is at critical mass and feel like I can't take it but the warm water pool givese just enough break that I get a glimpse of hope. And the actual exercise class has helped a lot with mobility.

I can't wait for it to re open.