I was wondering if anyone with RSD in their feet and legs has had a problem with new orthotics. I also have bone spurs in my hip, recently discovered, and the Dr. prescribed new orthotics to better align my body and try to take pressure off the spurs. I've worn orthotics for more than 20 years since surgery for neuromas made no improvement in pain that turned out to be RSD. These new ones set off terrible back pain, actually spasms of pain in addition to my "normal" burning/stabbing both feet and left leg pain. Has anyone found that their RSD body just can't handle changes? It was suggested to start wearing the orthotics 2 hours a day which I shortened and then at the Dr's. suggestion brought down to 20 min. The 20 min. caused a bad enougt reaction that my husband thought he might have to bring me to the ER(it was Sun., of course). Any thoughts? As I'm sure you all can understand I'm so tired of hurting. Having something cause more pain is just not something I want to deal with.
I've only written on here once, but just reading and knowing there are others who understand what it is like to have this devil of a disease helps. Thank you all for taking the time to share ideas and help others dealing with RSD.

Maybe they just aren't what you need right now...or maybe since they are new they are defective??

Have you tried any bodyworkers, maybe an expert chiropractor, or any other kind of therapy to help with alignment? Or maybe some postural yoga ?

Thanks for getting back to me. I have been seeing a chiropractoy since the summer when I couldn't stand the hip/pelvis problems that had been going on for a while. I knew of her from a family member that she helped immensely. The chiro is familiar with RSD and helped me quite a bit. She sent me for the xrays realizing i probably had these spurs and when she saw the xrays she sent me to the orthopedist that i had gone to 6 years ago when i broke my right tibial plateau and RSD spread from my left foot to my right foot and leg. The orthopedist on advice of a pain specialist did not do surgery as the need was borderline and the RSD made the surgery the poorer choice, though leaving my knee healed with a slight defect on the surface. This time the orthopedist ordered the steroid injection and said the next step would be hip replacement, but not for me. It seems the orthotic re-alignment is setting off problems, so my husband and I feel like my body reacts oddly and can't handle it. The chiro does think the orthotics are made well, I'm just questioning my body's reaction. Anyway, I appreciate your time and worthwhile suggestions.


QUOTE=Jo*mar;738587]Maybe they just aren't what you need right now...or maybe since they are new they are defective??

Have you tried any bodyworkers, maybe an expert chiropractor, or any other kind of therapy to help with alignment? Or maybe some postural yoga ?[/QUOTE]

Hi. I was in needless agony for at least three years because a crazy psychiatrist at my (long former) pain clinic - alone among all the doctors there in thinking my pain to be primarily physiolgical as a result of the tendon tears in both feet/ankles while working out at the gym, which brought on CRPS in the first place - placed me in orthotics which such heavy correction thatI would have rolled right out of my shoes: but for the fact the these "Ankles Foot Orthotics" (AFOs) were strapped to my shins which a piece of hard plastic, that in turn was connected to the foot piece by a hinge that allowed for only up and down motion. I literally could not move my feet from side to side.

Now, I can't speak for anyone else, but in coming on 10 years of living with this, in my experience immobilization is one of the surest ways for triggering a flair. By way of example, in the first few years, when the pain was most severe, it often took hours to go to sleep at night, no matter how much oxycodone I had taken. But to kill the "bone crunching" pain inside both feet, all I had to do was keep rocking them back and forth. Of course the moment I fell asleep, my feet stopped moving and the pain returned.

Being terribly clever, it only took me three years to internatilze the message: motion was good, "guarding" was bad. At which point, I unilaterally dropped the AFOs and my average daily pain level fell from about an 8.5 to maybe 6.0!

Long story short: if there is anything about how you use the orthotic that limits the range of motion your foot once had, and it could even be the sort of shoe you now have to wear with it, that (IMHO) is more likely the cause of the increased pain than the orthotic itself.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. I did have some nasty orthotics over the years that did limit my movement, but these new ones were designed to be more flexible and fit in the same shoes. It just seems like my body couldn't handle being "properly" aligned and now I'm in a big time flare again as well as dealing with my back. The chiropractor who ordered the orthotics feels bad. She is familiar with RSD, but just didn't expect this reaction. She is helping my back and has helped me move better as far as my hip/pelvis bone spur problem. For now I'm not wearing any orthotics and can't stand anything on my feet by late in the day. It's unreal how many of us can look back and see what shouldn't have been done to someone with RSD. If I hadn't been put in a cast over 25 years ago when I had terrible swelling of my left ankle with no known cause, supposedly tendonitis, that didn't get better from meds and rest etc., i might not be living with this RSD challenge. At least more doctors have heard of it and believe patients now than back then. Hopefully in the future it will be recognized and have a treatment that works. Sorry if this got long winded, my feet are burning way over a 10 and I can tell it's 1 of those hard to sleep nights... guess I needed to vent some.
Nana

Hi Nana,

I go back and forth on orthotics and yes, changes can absolutely make a huge difference in pain levels as can the shoe you're wearing. I also have terrible sciatic pain alot. I did find some good relief from a really unlikely (and cheap source). I kept asking one Dr. ( excellent one but feet are not exactly his specialty so he kind of ignored the question but I thought I had plantar fascitis) and then tried this arch support. I don't have high arches but this one little thing has helped so much of my pain when I'm even just walking around the house or out anywhere. For $5, might be worth a try? I definitely notice the pain come back if I'm not wearing it.

http://www.amazon.com/PediFix-Bandag...6325173&sr=8-2

Hello Nana,
Simply, I don't wear shoes or socks unless required by law. The older I've gotten I needed more orthotics to keep my hips aligned while working and standing. RSD took care of that. If I'm ever on my feet long enough to make my hips hurt, I can guarantee somethin' else is already hurtin'. I now wear shoes and slipper 2 sizes larger than before my accident and boots 3 sizes larger. I've tried to reinsert some of my supports but my gait is so much different they cause more problems.

So, skin is my footwear of choice.
Gram E

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Gram E. I do find my feet burn too much by evening to even have a slipper on...then I get cold. Just another of the RSD demons, I guess. But I have to agree with your footwear of choice when possible. The chiropractor is concerned about my hip/pelvis problems and thinks the new orthotics would help by getting my body aligned. I admit the hip pain and "catches" I've been having are scary and since steroid injection didn't help, I'd be a candidate for hip replacement, except for the RSD devil, but for now I'll just keep fighting and go along without orthotics.
Nana