Dear hurting,

If possible, try to find a PT that knows something (or cares enough to research) about RSD and treatment plans. Regardless of how you acquired it, you still need to work on desensitizing your affected areas. I injured myself close to four years ago, and clothes still irritate my skin when low pressure weather systems come through.

Lidocaine and Flector patches help quite a bit. My original injury was to my shoulder, and when I am having a bad day I stick a patch over it so that my clothes don't rub against my skin and cause pain. Sometimes my shoudlerblades and arm hurt, so I will put patches there also. I can use up to 3 patches a day for 12 hours.

I had 2 shoulder surgeries - both in the spring, one year apart. It wasn't until after the 2nd surgery that my ortho finally figured out what was wrong with me. But I will never forget having to start wearing warm, heavy clothes with the onset of cold weather here in New England months after surgeries and how badly it hurt. I would walk my dog early in the morning and just cry because it was so painful to have to wear clothes on my shoulder. Slowly I became fairly desensitized to the feeling of the weight of the fabric against my skin. Only another RSDer could understand what an ordeal that was!!

If you don't feel that your current PT has the right experience for the job, trust your gut. You've got to make sure that you have the right people in front of you for the job, because no one else is going to. Perhaps a discussion with your ortho or with a highly regarded pain management specialist in your area wil lead you to the best recommendation.

Let me know if you have any ?? xoxox Sandy

If you have a chance email me or pm me I have questions I also had 2 surgeries before they diagnosed the RSD/CRPS