Headaches Gone
 

I just had to post about my headaches. I have been suffering with severe headaches for years. Two weeks ago I thought they were getting better but reminded myself that it was probably just wishful thinking.

Now I know better because the headaches are gone. In the past anything has set off a headaches, light, noise, perfumes. I have not had a headache in ten days. It has been years since I was headache free.

Also my energy level is improving by leaps and bounds. I didn't realize how CRPS had robbed me of energy until I started improving.

I am beginning to wonder if tDCS is reversing the course of the disease since one of the many hallmarks of CRPS progression is decreasing energy levels.

I am zipping around now on my walker. I am getting stronger every day. I know it is only a matter of time before I walk out the door with a cane. My physical therapist has designed an aggressive exercise program for me to follow at home. Yesterday she measured my calf and I have gained one half inch!!!!!

Has anybody come up with an effective tDCS booster schedule?

It is very encouraging to hear that your headaches are gone. For the past year of so (since the RSD got worse) I have been suffering from contast headaches...they are just the norm now it seems. Another thing I suppose I should be keeping an eye out for maybe. :)

Also great to hear how well you are doing with the walker. Ever since I reached the point where I could use the walker and started to get the strength/endurance back my energy levels have been so much higher. I think a big part of it is the mental boost I get from being able to do things that I couldn't do for months and starting to feel a little more normal. Not that being 28 and needing a walker is particularly normal...but I'm sure you get the idea and know what I am talking about. Keep at it and I am sure you will be able to leave the house with that cane in no time. :)

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for tinnitus
 

Dear Ballerina
Thank you so much for your encouraging post. It might save my life.I have extremely bad tinnitus, very loud, high frequency, painful, 24/7, lucky to sleep three hours a night for the last year, not even sleeping tablets work anymore, so I'm off meds which were just poisoning me. I'm a complete wreck, feel I can hardly breathe, life seems unsurvivable, yet I have a lovely wife and six beautiful children who need me. For years I've had manageable tinnitus but a sound shock sent it screaming. After seeing your post which mentioned tinnitus, I noticed that there's been a ton of success with tDCS as a treatment,even potential cure, by somehow entraining / stabilizing over-active neurons.

I don't have much money and desperately need your help to find a machine with sponge electrodes. The only one on the market I could see at first was the Fisher-Wallace device which is supposed to be very good for increasing serotonin (precursor for GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter which might dampen down over-activity in the brain and reduce tinnitus). Then I saw your comment on it being a CES (cranial electrical stimulation) device, an Alternating-Current (AC) device. This was a disappointment as I was about to buy, eventhough I don't understand the relevance. Someone on another forum sums it up as follows:

CES and tDCS are similar, but different. CES uses an AC signal, tDCS
> uses a DC signal. This means that the two electrodes have polarity with
> tDCS but not with CES.
>
> With tDCS, (Transcranial direct current stimulation) the neurons in the area below the anode becomes more
> excitable, and the area under the cathode becomes more inhibited. This
> is great if you want to see what happens if region X of your brain is
> shut off, or if region Y works overtime.
>
> With CES, (cranial electrical stimulation) the polarity of the two electrodes switches around 0.5 to 30
> times a second. This results in neural activity occurring in bursts in
> sync to the oscillating current, with activity alternating between the
> two areas under the electrodes.


Anyway, still don't get it, I'm not very science-savvy, so I looked around for other tDCS devices. The only ones I came across (with sponge electrodes) were the SOTERIX DC STIMULATOR and the NEURO CONN DC STIMULATOR, but I don't think either are available to public. I might be wrong but I can hardly concentrate so you or another forum member might be able to clarify.
I then realised you named your device as TRIVARION ACTIVA DOSE. Could you explain what bits I need to get together and maybe best place to buy. The unit I saw online didn't seem to have the sponge electrodes but I'm probably not focused. Also, I don't understand why choose an Iontophoresis Machines (used for administering chemicals through the skin, they say) is it that they have dual uses, if so that's great. I also saw the HidrexGS400 which is suitable for home use. The other concern is power output (tDCS works very safely and effectively with low milliamps to the head) and adjustable frequency settings(HZ).

Can you help me get my ideas together somehow. Your post has given me a little bit of hope, thank you.

I followed all of ballerina's recommendations on where to get the different parts for tDCS treatment. I got the activa dose unit that she linked to...it was $225 I think. I also had to purchase TENS lead wires with pin connectors (the activa dose machine only comes with snap connection wires and those won't work for tDCS)...I bought these from amazon.com for $4.96 including shipping (actual price was only $0.01 plus $4.95 shipping). Then I bought the sponge electrodes seperately from the site she recommended along with addition sponge inserts. The only other thing I had to buy that she did not list (but someone else did) were two "pin to banana" connection adapters. These were just a couple of dollars. All together I paid only about $300. I did need a script from the doctor for the tdcs unit but all the other stuff I was able to order without any special script or anything from the doctor.

As to why the Iontophoresis unit...it is just what is used for tDCS treatments. I'm sure someone else can jump in with the technical details on WHY it works but I haven't heard of any other sort of unit being used for tDCS. I was a little confused by this at first myself because I thought it would just be called a tDCS unit or something...but it's probably not a common enough use of the device for there to be a change in the name or anything.

So kind of you to come back quickly Catra :)

I'll search her posts for the links. It's all so new to me and a bit overwhelming but I have to try something,the tinnitus is relentlessly punishing. If anyone can fill us in on the techie side, how these device specs compare with units used in mainstream tDCS clinical trials, it would be wonderful to know. Thanks again.


"Bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), with the anodal electrode overlying the right and the cathodal electrode overlying the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, has been shown to suppress tinnitus significantly in 30% of patients"
Brai2n, TRI and Department of NeurosurgeryBelgium:confused:

getting there
 

I've got my shopping list now for parts, thanks. Just want to double-check , have you or anybody used this on your head? should be safe at such low current. Thanks to Ballerina for the guidelines, really helpful.

All tDCS that I have done have been on my head...I think that's where almost all of them are done....so it is definitely safe. The biggest thing is to make sure you use enough saline so that you don't get any skin burns.

High Nick,

I hope tDCS helps you with your tinnitus. It is hard for anyone to appreciate how disabling it is unless you have been there.

I believe there is a specific protocol for tinnitus but I did not use it. I have used one of the protocols for chronic pain and it totally eliminated the tinnitus. You might try various protocols twenty minutes each, two times a day for ten days. It sounds like you have been researching protocols for tDCS. If you find one that works please share it.

The type of device I use is the standard for many clinical tDCS trials. Don't spend more money on devices because if you are a responder you will respond to the the type of device I and others use.

Hope there are better days ahead for you!!!

Hello Ballerina
you cannot imagine how grateful I am for all your hard work and dedication to this community, I'm sure I speak for everybody, empathy is a gift like none other. I'll try whatever protocols I can and post my results.

Thanks for reassurance about the machine, it's a godsend (some published online trials have referred to tDCS units like NeuroConn's Eldith, very expensive). The only other tDCS device I saw that might fit the bill, affordability wise, could be Mindalive's Oasis ***, but the Ativa looks like a robust professional device, my instinctive first choice too.

If I get well, I'll follow your lead and help others.

Nick

DIY tDCS
 

Hi all
Thanks to nickallen post in longecity tDCS i get to this forum.
***
I buld some simple cheape tDCS device mysef for about 10S .
It simplest posible and dount have any advanced features ,even if it does not seem it,the safety is comparable to commercial devices.
***
I made for some of my expedimens and i try tit about 50times in 3years period mainly for L-DLPFC stimulation.

With a few adjustments would be ​​applicable to C3 stimulation protocol.

In a last few eaks they apper many moustly DIY TDCS devices , moust promising it looks GoFlow β1
***

---
i look at minlive oasies - this look like only a CES device (CES has aplication for tinnitus too)

I think that CES could be effective in CPRS with right waveform ,but i dount knouw much about CPRS ,i will try to read research paper posted here and maybe i come up with something.

I made simple CES device too from MP3 player and little battry amplifiler

Did you tried some mental technigues for CRPS , i interesting in lucid dreaming and out of body experience and seem to me tant some methods is can be used for CRPS treathment.One of this methots work with multisensory integration to change the body image - if there no body image the is no pain , pain is cant be without the body.is about how to turn-off or change the preception it based on same principes like mirror box.

One neuroscience hint if you have a hand pain try to cross over the hands
this little lowering the sensory ingretion and pain it cam be litte less.

Hi Nick,

Just another suggestion. If you try tDCS I suggest you reverse the protocol and do both sides. Don't know if this applies to tinnitus but since there seems to be a link with chronic pain it is worth a try,

Hope this helps.

cathodal dlpfc
 

"Bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), with the anodal electrode overlying the right and the cathodal electrode overlying the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, has been shown to suppress tinnitus significantly in 30% of patients"

It not very good idea to use this protocol its may work with trinnius bud have side effect turning down DLPFC may couse depresion and sleapines.

I try it 2 times with 1mA 30mins (current density 55uA/cm) to determine a effect if some one use my devece with switched contacts.I ged very sleapy
and hard fousing this last about half a day.
*the setting is little different - cathode on L-DLPFC and anode on right supraorbital area (above right eye)

Wow
 

The success is amazing. I just read an article in my newspaper today about using the tDCS for depression. I have to look into this device for pain. I have already had ACDF C5-6 C6-7, have additional issues above the fusion and issues in my lumber region besides RSD in both hands and feet. I may have missed this response but where did you get the device and can it be put through any durable medical or regular medical insurance. Looking forward to the research.

My secondary insurance covered the device but many insurances do not. Please read through this thread for specifics on where to purchase the device. You might want to select a website that does not require a script to save yourself a visit to a doctor who may or may not agree to write one.

Best to you and hope you find relief.

Almost ready for take-off
 

Hi Ballerina, thanks for the advice but forgive my technical naivety. Could you help me understand 'both sides'..the cathodal/anodal layout, located where on head for your chronic pain protocol.

Whatever ideas you've got sound good to me and will probably be superior to any pubmed literature.:)



+ thanks Orlin1, looks like the good people on this forum are the real experts!

Hi Nick,

I found this in my files.

http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/...in_JNeurol.pdf

With neuropathic pain the problem with brain plasticity effects both sides of the brain even though the pain may be present on one side only. To treat both sides just use the same electrode placement but change the electrodes to the opposite side.

Hope this helps!

Just wanted to update on how things have been going since I started tDCS treatments. I have seen slight improvements in the pain in my ankle since I started treatments 2 weeks ago. The relief goes down to about a 4/10 on the pain scale but several hours after treatment sneaks back up that 9/10 level...quicker if I am being more active which I admit that I am trying to be more and more. I'm encouraged but I will be trying a different placement for the electrodes starting tomorrow to see if I can get a more longer lasting effect.

I know it probably sounds crazy but there's a part of me that almost prefers the constant pain at a higher level to the short term relief followed by it worsening. I guess because I can cope and function with the high pain level but I find it harder to function when it goes up like that. Does that make sense? Probably not...but I am encouraged by the relief and hopeful that there will be a better placement that will work to provide a more constant level of relief.

I haven't noticed any other effects...my balance is about the same (still wobbly) and sleep is still not very good. I also haven't noticed any change to the pain in my other RSD areas...though it is most severe in my ankle where I seem to be getting some relief. But I'm not expecting instant miracles (even though the pain being below a 6 at ANY point is close enough to a miracle as I have seen in quite a while with my RSD) and really feel like this is going to be the right treatment for me.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Great link
 

Thanks for the link Ballerina, it's the most informative I've read so far.:)

Having been there and done that I can certainly understand the effects of short term pain relief. Your progress is still remarkable!!! Very frustrating that it is short lived.

To prolong my pain relief I did mirror therapy, sometimes as much as every hour, and was in and out of epsom salts baths, as well many other strategies. If that does not work for you how about kicking up all of your pain relief strategies for the time you are treating with tDCS?

I am shooting in the dark here but what I concentrated on was pain reduction 24/7 when I began treating back in November. I would switch out strategies all day long, day after day. After a while my body developed a "new normal" base pain level.

I wonder would happen if you targeted some of your other CRPS areas with the tDCS, rather than you ankle?

Regarding sleep, some people sleep better if they limit their second treatment to prior to 4:00 pm, (that is assuming you are doing two treatments per day)

What protocol did you use and what protocol will you try next?

What are all of the other areas of CRPS pain?

I am so happy that you are not giving up. The first protocol I tried worked but the second one worked better. The good thing is that it sounds like you are a responder!!!!! That is huge!!!!!!

P.S. A helpful strategy might be to keep a notebook handy and jot down symptoms at least twice a day. When I did this I turned the page each day so I could not see what I had written, and did not review my comments for twelve days.

Hope something I have offered helps!!!!!!!!!

I will try to do as you suggest and be really aggressive with the other therapies, etc, that I do to help bring the pain levels down. I've been just doing them as I did before but maybe if I focus on doing them more then that will make the effects last longer. I've also been trying to spend some time getting out of the house to continue to work on building up my endurance for "when" I am able to return to work (whenever that may be).

I'm not really clear on what the best option would be for trying to target a specific area other than you want the anode on the opposite side. I've tried to read through some of the articles but honestly my reading comprehension has gotten pretty rough since the RSD got so bad last year. I used to love to read and I just can't seem to focus enough. I read a few lines...then have to reread them because my mind wanders or I can't remember what I just read. It's very frustrating and reading up on tDCS beyond what has been posted here has been rough going and frustrating to say the least. At any rate...I would be willing and happy to try any other placements if anyone can give me more specific direction on how to target a specific area.

I have RSD in my left ankle and also everywhere between my waist and neck (inlcuding both arms and hands). Thankfully I started doing therapy and desensitization in those areas before they had a chance to get as bad/far along as my ankle. I also didn't make the mistakes that I did with the ankle (or that my doctors made with my ankle) like immobilizing and using ice. So even though I still have the constant burning pain, allydonia, and swelling in my upper body...the bone crushing make you want to cry flares and freezing only happen every few days as compared to the constantness of the pain in my ankle. Lord...how warped is that to think the awful pain in my upper body isn't "that bad" when it would probably make most people want to curl up and die. I'm affected on both sides equally up there with my back, neck, and hands being the worst generally outside of those awful flares that can attack anything in that region (or several at once). I try to stay positive and not think too hard about these things...but when you write it out like that you really realize what a warped sense of "normal" you get when you live with this. And I know I've lived with it not nearly as long as many.

I do keep a notebook though of what times I do treatment and the effects, etc. I've been doing the treatments at 10am and 5pm every day...mostly because of my boyfriend's work schedule so I can do them when he is not home and I can be completely relaxed and not have any distractions. I could try moving the second one up. Haven't noticed my sleep being any worse than before though...just not better.

I won't give up and will keep trying. Some relief is better than none afterall but I hope that I can find something that works a little bit better for me. So far this has been one of the few things that actually helps with the PAIN though. Physical therapy has been great for the function and all...but other than the TENS I haven't had anything that could make a significant impact on the actual pain in a very long time...especially since I went off of all my meds for the pain last year. I don't really want to have to go back on them because I am worried about the long term effects (and that seratonin syndrome was nasty business...don't want to deal with anything like THAT again). So I really think tDCS will be my best option once I find a protocol that works best for me.

**


First of all I am not a doctor nor have I never formally studied this , i only interested in neurologi and similar topics and i have some experince with few types of stimulation like tdcs,ces,gvs,cvs,avs.

issue around the CRPS is new for me and will me take a while before I read articles, but i may have some ideas how to help.

did you ever tried L-DLPFC stimulanin and after this C3 (or sensory) protocol ?
According to my current knowledge, it would be much more efficient.
I try to find better protocol which will combine both. This take a while i have must read lots of articles and counting electrodes size, current densities, find map of current popagaition truerh a cortex...

Before testing please consult with the doctor.

Some theory from one article :
Stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) may both reduce the perception of pain, but recent studies suggest that they likely do so by different mechanisms. Pain and perception thresholds to electrical stimulation were assessed in 20 healthy volunteers before and during anodal TDCS. Four conditions of stimulation were compared: M1, DLPFC, occipital cortex, and sham. Anodal tDCS of M1 increased both perception and pain thresholds, while stimulation of DLPFC increased pain thresholds only. The results suggested that 1) anodal stimulation of M1 but not DLPFC could induce analgesia by modulating sensory discrimination and 2) stimulation of DLPFC could modulate the perception of pain via a mechanism independent of sensory perception (21). An adjunctive study with 22 healthy volunteers showed that anodal tDCS of the DLPFC (but not M1, occipital, or sham) could decrease the perception of unpleasantness and reduces emotional discomfort/pain while subjects viewed emotionally aversive images demonstrating human pain.

some my experience i expedimentng mainly on L-DLPFC.
Stimulation of those parts of the brain lowering the levels of stress hormones in the body and activation of DLPFC alows to control emotional response and
many other suffs in the brain.From my experinece if i get the stres hormones to the zero the headache and other pain dimish (the cause of pain is still be there bud signal level to brain is lower) my thetory is taht becouse stress block endorphines withs block pain signals.If you unblock the endorphines they are block main part of pain going to the brain.(its oversmilified is very hard for me write in english).There is many posibilities how you can change how many signels go to the cortex -change thalamus settnigs or change how cortex working with signals.
The stress part of the pain can by reduced by tdcs DFLPFC stimulation or by mental technigues effect is very simmilar.

-----
for pain is very good suplement DLPA - dextrolevo phenylalanine
its safe without a side effects, it rise up the levels of endorphnies and some neurotransmiters in the brain

Hi Nick,

Very curious to know how your treatments for tinnitus is coming. I know how miserable it can be. I also know how incredible it was to have it gone. Please keep us posted.

Getting There
 

Hi Ballerina

Still in the process of gathering equipment & parts. When I've received everything I'll give you a blow-by-blow account of my inevitably good progress. I've met some pretty smart people like yourself that have told me any kind of tinnitus is curable, so that's reassuring. Mine is due to a sudden acoustic trauma/loud sound shock. I am so happy your own tinnitus is gone.I would shed tears of joy if mine went. I used to have a milder form and thought it couldn't possibly get worse, but now it's total agony, a concept I'm sure you can relate to. By the way, what caused your tinnitus (CRPS-related?), how long did you endure it, and what was it like to live with?

Mine was one of the many symptoms of progressive CRPS. The tinnitus lasted for about two years. It began with other autonomic issues. First just annoying, would come and go, but then it was ever present. Sadly, the other symptoms, especially the pain, were even worse.

I hope you are successful with tDCS. Please don't give up if the first protocol does not work.

Hoping there are better days ahead for you!

Dear Catra,

Just read your post. I am sorry about the frustation you are going through
in your journey with TDCS, but hang in there. I am pleased to hear you have
noticed some difference in pain levels. Since my understanding is repeated
treatments have an accumulative effect, perhaps as time passes and you
gain more information your anxiety levels will lessen and increased relief will
be felt. Regardless, you are in my thoughts and in my prayers.

:hug: Joydee

Thanks. This is my hope as well. I'm trying a different protocol and am targeting my upper body this time with the hopes that with time I will see the improvements in my ankle and balance as well. I'm still optimistic about it all though.

Device Settings
 

Ballerina,

Could you tell me what setting you use for the 'dosage' setting on the
phoresis uint? I imagine you set the current at 2mA?

Thanks and happy to hear you are doing better,
Vic :)

Yes Vic,
2mA is what I use.

Hope tDCS helps you!

The dosage is 40...current is 2mA...treatment lasts 20 minutes.

tDCS-reversing the effects of the Spinal Cord Stimulator
 

Yesterday I went out the door with my cane for the first time. The first thing I did was to walk through the daffodils blooming by the driveway. Then I walked to the mailbox and back.

A mundane activity that most people take for granted. I have not had that much fun in years.

After having been maimed by a Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator tDCS has given me a new life. The wheelchair that the Spinal Cord Stimulator relegated me to is now in the shed. I hope the walker will also reside there soon.

It is not often that CRPS worsened by Spinal Cord stimulators responds to anything. I am in awe and feel so thankful for finding this treatment.

I am now in physical therapy only once a week, down from three times a week. The atrophy in my leg is just about gone. I am sleeping like a baby.

I am now on maintenance treatments of twice a week for twenty minutes each.

The best thing is that my energy level is back to the pre-CRPS, Pre spinal cord stimulator level. There is no doubt in my mind that tDCS has interrupted the progression of the disease.

If you are newly diagnosed please consider tDCS to knock out the CRPS. For all of those with CRPS who are considering Spinal Cord Stimulators please read my history first. I have been to hell and back. The only thing worse than CRPS is CRPS made worse by a failed Spinal Cord Stimulator.(And most of them do fail for CRPS patients, within several months to several years)

I try not to look back but some times I can't help but think about how my life would have been different if I had used tDCS early on, prior to the many treatment failures and medications that either did not work or made me worse.

Please consider tDCS. You have nothing to loose.

Congrats!! That is fantastic. I definitely know what you mean about how fun and exciting those "mundane" activities can be. After spending months and months in a wheelchair I remember being terribly excited when I was able to reach into one of the upper cabinets in the kitchen and get myself a plate that was not left on the counter for me. Such a little thing...but so huge to me at the time. Same goes for he first time I was able to get in the car and drive after almost a year of not being able to.

I am SO happy to hear how well you are doing. Keep it up and keep us posted. :)

Here is hoping you are not far behind me. Please let us know how you are doing!

Well...I've been trying my new protocol for a week now and I have noticed a change. I'm not getting any relief in my ankle (yet) with the new protocol but I am getting relief in my upper body (mostly in my hands and arms) and unlike what was happening with my ankle this relief is more constant instead of the up and downs. This is encouraging and I'm going to continue with this protocol for a while. I have not noticed any changes in my balance or sleeping...but it has been eaiser to do a lot of activities with the reduced allydonia and pain in my hands and arms.

I've increased my efforts at pain reduction and exercise. I've been taking two warm baths a day instead of just one, doing two treatments with the ultrasound (after each bath), and having the TENS unit on almost all the time PLUS lidoderm patches on other areas at the same time. I've been increasing the amount of activity and exercise...still focusing on both my physical therapy exercises and upping my endurance. Since the weather has been very very nice (70s-80s with no rain) I have been taking a 5 minute drive to the forest preserve each morning with my little dog and we walk around the lake (gravel path) for 1.5-2 hours. I have to go in the earlier morning before it's two warm and we usually have the whole place to ourselves. I have to use the walker and by the end of the walk I have to lean on it more...but so far no flare ups and the TENS unit and other stuff has kept the pain at a manageable level. Hasn't gotten above an 8 all week which considering the amount of activity I have been doing is pretty impressive. Not sure if it is the amount of focus I have been putting on pain control or if it's the tDCS that is helping keep the flares at bay or if it is a combination of both....but it feels SO great.

I feel like I have more energy. Some of this is mental...I'm sure...just because I am so thrilled with being able to get out of the house and do some walking with my dog in the local forest preserve, etc. But I also can feel that I am getting stronger and stronger and having less pain in my hands and arms is wonderful too. It's not gone...but it is better. I have even been able to go outside on the less windy days without gloves on (though I keep them with me just in case). On the next less windy day I might try wearing something without sleeves to see if I can handle it. Wind is a real killer for me but it would be nice to not have to be completely covered up every time I leave the house..

So...things are going well. I made a lot of progress on my own before tDCS just with physical therapy...but I really think that the tDCS is only going to help me go farther and I hope that over time I start to see improvements in the pain in my ankle and the balance as well. If those improve then I will be able to ditch the walker and that would be a wonderful thing. Even if I could get to the point where I felt safe enough to not need the walker in the house and just needed it when I went out...that would be nice.

Hope everyone is doing well! Take care!

Catra that is great news. Things were slow for me at first. Each time I got symptom reduction I would attribute it to something else but eventually I just kept getting better and better. Isn't the energy thing great!!!!! It just builds on itself.

Keep up the good work!!!!! What I try to do is not to look at daily progress but I measure my progress on the same day each week. In that way I have been able to clearly see that my severe headaches are gone, etc.

I am so happy for you. The transition to the cane was a hard one for me. Sometimes I have the urge to retrieve the walker from the shed. My wife thinks maybe I should for a while but I am too stubborn.

The symptoms in my wrist that were caused by a spinal cord revision surgery are now gone. I hope it won't be long and you will be sharing the same thing too!!!!!!!

I have to be honest...I will likely be very hard pressed to swap the walker for the cane for anything other than what I do now which is to use the cane to go upstairs and then use that when I am up there (which is usually not for much time at all each day and I mostly do it just to get the therapy of going up and down the stairs).

The walker actually gives me so much more freedom with most things and I have a much more normal walking gait with the walker (it is the kind with 4 wheels and a seat). I can "carry" things with the walker by putting them on the seat or in the pouch under the seat. I can kneel on it (only when it is locked of course) and have my hands free to do the dishes, grab something off the shelf, etc. And of course then I always have the seat if I need it when I am out shopping or something. I can even go grocery shopping by myself and just put a shopping basket on the walker and use my walker like a cart (okay...so no BIG grocery shopping trips by myself). I also just feel safer with the walker because of the balance problems that can hit me seemingly out of no where. I can be walking normally and if it hits I just stop and put the brakes on...sitting if I need to. With the cane I don't feel like it would be so easy and feel I would be much more likely to fall (and then possibly hurt myself and flare up my RSD). And another added benefit is that people tend to give me much more space (generally) with the walker

I don't know...maybe I am just scared of the change but I feel like the walker allows me more freedom than the cane...especially since I can just walk along normally and can have the freedom to use both my hands when I need to without sacrificing safety/balance. But I tell you...if these balance problems go away I will be thrilled to not NEED the walker or cane.

Ballerina also advised me not to think about my progress in a daily sense but rather to review the progress after the entire week. I write down my daily progress in a journal and I just reviewed the past week this morning. It was encouraging and I feel good about it. One step at a time, right? :)

I had another fall last wednesday. I hit the floor pretty hard and tore my thumbnail in two places. I was ready for the usual new source of CRPS but amazingly it did not happen. I am a bit bruised and the thumb hurt real good for a day and now I am good to go.

It is my own fault because I was not using my service dog when I fell. Big mistake that I will not soon make again.

Otherwise I am doing well. Still making very good progress. I am starting a new protocol over the next week and will keep daily notes regarding any progress. I am so excited to see that others are having good results with tDCS.

I hope we will soon see posts about great results with those newly diagnosed with CRPS.

I'm glad you are okay! It's easy to get cocky isn't it? A little over a month ago now I had my walker and I leaned to grab a coat off a hook on the wall...didn't lock the breaks because I felt fine. Lost my balance, walker rolled away from me, and I scraped my skin and got a nasty bruise. Thankfully...that was all...but you can bet I haven't made the mistake again of not locking my wheels when I do something where I need to lean or use both hands.

Keep up all the hard work and as always...thanks so much for all your advice and help. I wish more people (especially doctors) were familiar with tDCS as treatment for CRPS and chronic pain.

Yes it is very easy to get cocky and do more than I should just because tDCS has given me some quality of life back.

You keep up the hard work too!!!!! I am so happy that you and James are making such good progress!!!

Remission for us someday!!!!

Unfortunately my take on doctors and tDCS is that patients are going to get their own equipment and treat themselves before most doctors will offer. Just think what will happen to lucrative pain management practices and spinal cord stim revenues if and when tDCS takes off. (which I believe will happen within the next few years.) Patients like me will not wait for the medical profession to promote, to provide or to give permission in the way of scripts for the treatment. My hunch is that college kids will lead the charge rather than chronic pain patients, using the devices for learning and memory. I predict that they will routinely pack a tDCS device with their i pads.

I can't wait until tDCS wipes out the Spinal Cord Stim business as it pertains to CRPS patients. I become ill every time I hear of another failure case like James.

Better day are ahead for all of us.

anode cathode location
 

CRPSjames & ballerina:

Would you 2 tdcs “positive responders “ (for lack of a better term) be kind enough to post another description of the locations you are using for your anode and cathode?

It would be useful to have it listed in the EEG coordinates or some other manner that allows others of us to accurately do a trial using those locations.

I have tried 3 ten-day trials & have had no symptomatic improvement whatsoever, but each of the trials have caused some significant sleep disturbances… so something is happening. I've been on a weeklong reprieve and I am about to start another trial.

The 1st trial I used what I thought was the location that ballerina (motor cortex and S2) is using, the 2nd trial was more oriented upward towards C-3 trial was at C-3 -and a little higher on the head also……


If you feel more comfortable PM’ing me, fine with me.

voner

Hi Voner,

I an very sorry you have not received any relief. I have used the electrode placements you have used and had the best response to M1 S2. I am currently trying a new placement but have no track record yet.

I am no expert but I offer the following. I did extensive research on tDCS and my areas of pain. I also visited and/or consulted with the three leading places in the US as regards tDCS and my area of pain. This process might be useful for you. I also vaguely remember that you rigged your own electrode parts. Don't know if this could be a factor.

The description of my M1 S1 is listed in this thread. Please send me a pm if it is not clear. I am not always as clear as I could be.

The fact that your sleep is being disturbed is not great but you are right-something is happening.

I would not give up yet.