Originally Posted by catra121

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!

Originally Posted by CRPSjames

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!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by ballerina

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.

Originally Posted by catra121

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.

Originally Posted by voner

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