Hi everyone

I have found some great ideas/suggestions on the "RSD lifesavers" thread. Now I am asking for some more ideas. My RSD is left hand/arm and have issues of right hand from overuse for the last 1 1/2 years. I have adapted many ways to get things done....but does anyone have any helpful ways of getting things done 1 handed? Last month my OT gave me rocker knife and I was so happy to be able to cut some of my own food. It was a small thing for him, but BIG for me. i haven't figured out how to tie shoes one handed..and the list goes on and on.

First of all, give yourself time. It takes alot of work, and even then some things just can't be done 1 handed. Mine began in my left wrist/hand over 5 1/2 years ago, and I find myself still adapting to some things. It took forever to be able to tie my shoes, and I don't do that very often...I wear skate shoes, tie them, double knot them, and slip them on and off until they start coming untied (or until my granddaughter unties them lol).

For me, I had to get away from my stubborn pride and admit there were just some things I couldn't do myself anymore. I still try, but I know my limits. I try to do simple, everyday things that help with training the hand (or training me)...such as simply letting it help wash my hair. It hurts, but trying for even a little bit helps. It took a long time to cut anything myself, and most of that is done with my teeth gritted and jaw locked...then it seems I'm tearing it rather than cutting sometimes. Most things I still can't cut.

Basically, just don't give up. You may not have full use of your hand, but you can get to where you can tolerate using it for simple things some. I even use petting my dog as therapy. Anything you allow yourself to do and endure with that hand will work as therapy for you. Just remember to pay attention to the limits your body tells you.

Wow, sounds like you and I are so similar. My RSD is in my left hand/arm. I've had this 3 1/2 yrs and still adapting. I type with my right hand, occasionally using left finger to hit a left side butter or capitalize someting. Cutting things is still hard, I ussually switch hands that i used to cut with or ask my husband or kids. I have slip on shoes for the most part or will have my daughter tie them, knot them and slip them on and off that way. I have most function in my left hand but it's still hard to use and takes allot of concentration sometimes. The thing I struggle with is gaurding and I tend to like my hand and arm covered or in a glove. I wear arm warmers allot because they help keep it warm, free from breeze and people tend to not bump it because they see something is wrong if i have an arm warmer on just one arm. Makes it a bit easier to use. I also have a spinal cord stim that has worked wonders most of the time. Humidity, weather changes, streess, overuse still crank up the pain and I have tendonitis in my right hand from over compensating.

I re-read my earlier post and realized I left out some explanations.

Cutting things like steak, I use my right hand to stick the fork in the steak, then switch to my left and try to hold it as steady as possible while I use the knife with my right hand. It's painful, challenging, slow, and doesn't always work, but I try. If I can't do it, my hubby usually takes my plate and does it for me...or my friends shake their hands at me and say, "Why won't you ask for help?!" You have to try thing, but you also have to be willing to ask for help.

Tying shoes is still very painful, slow, takes lots of concentration, and not done tight. But I was soooo happy the first time I tied my shoes a couple years ago!!

For typing, I'm only able to use my right hand and left middle finger. Because my wrist doesn't move and the proximal row of wrist bones were removed (along with a small portion of the radius and all the nerves in my wrist), I can't reach the keys properly. But I've noticed that I've gotten faster over the years.

Also, just as a suggestion that I found helpful, try playing video games with a controller like Xbox or something. It's difficult, but I found that playing the game distracted me some from the pain and worked as therapy for my hand. I talked to my hand specialist about it, and he said they use video games in children's hospitals for therapy for just that reason.

I know I need to give myself time...but it so frustrating and so many things I cannot do. I know my family (especially my son who is around most) is getting tired of things I need help with. My husband, who never even gets a cold, does not understand and has little tolerance when i simply cannot do something or go somewhere because I feel so miserable. Says it is all in my head..no reason I can't do as usual.
I find summer and warmer weather, meaning lighter/less clothing and slip on sandals so much easier. I type with my right hand and can usually use my first finger on the left to type.
I also have issues with guarding. I find it helpful (even if is all in my head) to wear one of my splints when going out of the house. It seems to me to be a bit of protection from the crowds. I also have issues, they say arthritis brought on from over use, in my right thumb. There are some days I can't drive or even hold my coffee cup. Drinking coffee thru a straw is just not right. But it was my way of adapting. I also have arm warmers with me at all times. The air conditioning and even light breezes are painful, so this way I don't need a jacket just my arm warmer.
I am scheduled to have an OT home evaluation and driving evaluation to see if any adaptions can be made to "make things easier." Has anyone ever had this done??

I had the same general issue. About year into the RSD, my left hand just stopped working and contracted, so I was unable to use that hand. Thankfully, I was right-handed, so I still had my "dominant" hand working for me. It finally started twitching after about two years, so me and a PT worked from there. I still have some weakness in it from not being able to use it for so long and the subsequent atrophy, but it's been working for about three years now.

Back to the question, in order to get things done with one hand, I became quite creative if you will. I put an ace wrap in order to uncontract my hand and prevent it from permanently staying in a tight fist and to keep my nails from digging into my skin. It was softer than a brace, so it helped with comfort. It also made people cautious about bumping into my hand and such. This also helped with being able to use my useless hand as a kind-of hand. I just practiced the little things at home and, as odd as it sounds, tried to make a game out of trying to do things with my one hand. It helped with the outlook a little bit...if I didn't make it into a game, I would focus on how I only have one functioning hand, and that wouldn't make things any better. I learned to use my contracted hand's wrist as support for things that needed two hands. For example, when putting my hair into a ponytail, I would push my non-functioning hand into and out of the scrunchie in order to put my hair up. I also learned ways to get around having to need a second hand. For example, usually when folding clothes and blankets, people just hold them and fold. I adapted and used the floor to fold. I would lay the clothing/blankets/towels/etc. and simply fold that way. With tying shoes, I'd tie them before putting them on and use my teeth or foot as my left hand. Also, I used duct tape to tie them. I'd put a piece of duct tape at the end of each lace. When I needed the second hand to hold/secure a lace, I'd tape it to the floor and simply do that each time I looped and such. I was - and still am - very independent, so I didn't want others to help me unless it was absolutely necessary (i.e. carrying groceries). I was also on crutches at the time, so there were some things I already faced that I was unable to do and had to rely on others for (i.e. pushing a shopping cart), but I just used creativity in order to get around my lack of a functioning hand. The best I can say is keep as positive of an outlook as you can and get creative with your other functioning limbs as well as outside resources - like duct tape - in order to keep as much independence with completing tasks as you can.

I hope this helps!

Well, I am in the same boat, the same part of my body has been affected for the last 6 months. The funny thing is that every MD, nurse, therapist etc. ask whether I am right or left hand dominate (right) and then comment on how fortunate I am that it is not my right hand, I laugh inwardly every time for unless someone has the experience of suffering the use or major limitation of a hand/arm it really makes no difference which side is crippled. In short many thing I once did "right handed', I now do "left handed" because the left cannot play the support role for the right has it always has done.

I have to ask for help from my wife often, cutting food is a big one. MY shoes I just have laced loosely so that I can slip them on. I can tie shoes but not very tight and I avoid it, but when I do I pull the laces tight with my right, then trap the tensioned laces with my left on up the shoe/boot, however, I cannot tie them up tight as I would like.

I cannot fold clothes, typing is very painful, the pain in my finger tips is akin to a small hammer smacking my fingers at every key stroke and the knuckles/wrist ache fiercely. Putting on socks is slow and painful, I cannot squeeze toothpaste from a tube and so on. I cannot carry even 1lb more than a few feet before the pain becomes too intense, so I tuck soft light items under my left arm and trap it against my body


The most important thing I found is to keep at it, keep trying to do those little things with the affected side at every opportunity, stretch and massage your left hand several times a days, make it a habit !

hi anne,
sorry but you are going to be the subject of my first post!
i had a massive right side stroke in april 2011, my souvenir is a left arm and hand that is now largelyused for symetrical purposes, it does nothing, fortunately i am up and walking so i understand entirely the desire, no not desire, absolute need to tie your laces, it is totally unacceptable for a bit of string to ruin your day, apologies in advance as this will be a complicated explanation, but i hope not beyond you, like so many things once you know it is so easyo do, it took me a month of trial and error a few naughty words and perhaps some tears too, but here goes, this is what i do, not pretty but having just walked 70miles in spain on the camino de santiago de compostela it works! this is how i tie my right shoe with my right hand, once you get the idea doing the left shoe is just about identical,

first, choose shoes with long laces, for reasons i dont understand tying with anything other than round laces is harder, so try round ones until the dinner invites roll in to show off your new party trick,

put right shoe on! leave laces loose at the moment, dont panic...trust me i have had a brain injury


take hold of both laces and pull tight
next take the lace that comes out of the bottom left 'eyehole' of the shoe and pull it tight and trap it under the sole of your right foot this will keep it taught
next take the lace doing nothing on the right hand side of your shoe and without releasing the tension on the trapped lace pass itbehind and under
the taught (trapped lace) when that is done pull the right lace the one you have just passed behind thetrapped lace pull it tight this will form a simple, well it is not a knot, but you will recognise it... all the time keep the trapped lace trapped,
, next step is to take the loose end of the lace on the right side and form a very crude bow, now thread/pass this behind the taught trapped lace, having just tried this again i see i hold the crude bow in place with the fourth finger of my right hand this leaves my thumb and index finger free to pass the crude bow behind the trapped lace, hope you are still with me as the next thing is to squeeze the crude bow down the side of your fourth finger which will have a piece of lace running over it, now is the time for giggles because you have either just created your first one handed bow or the shoe is going out the window,


hope this helps, if nothing else it should get you unblocked and see a way how to do this yourself, once you have one bow yiu can reate a double and more secure knot by repeating the basic process, lots of laces hanging about? just tuck them away , dont break your neck now

good luck and very best regards,
andrew


I have found some great ideas/suggestions on the "RSD lifesavers" thread. Now I am asking for some more ideas. My RSD is left hand/arm and have issues of right hand from overuse for the last 1 1/2 years. I have adapted many ways to get things done....but does anyone have any helpful ways of getting things done 1 handed? Last month my OT gave me rocker knife and I was so happy to be able to cut some of my own food. It was a small thing for him, but BIG for me. i haven't figured out how to tie shoes one handed..and the list goes on and on.[/QUOTE]

Anne
Have you seen an occupational therapist? They will help you with anything you have trouble doing. I went ten years ago, and still use the things they taught me. Mine even worked with me using a yard stick to simulate my rifle. (I used to do a lot of target shooting. My upper body is to stiff now to do it any more) They helped me with my car seat belt ( I use a hook to get hold of it), opening cans and bottles, ways to wash my feet, since I am often to stiff and painful to reach them properly. How to make brushing my service dog easier, using a trackpad instead of a mouse, different keyboard angle... All kinds of things. I made a list of everything that was difficult for me before I went in.

The occupational therapist (I went to Cleveland Clinic) was also the best at giving me exercises. Physical therapy makes me worse. Occupationl therapy helped, and helped me in everyday life to deal with RSD. All these years later, I still try to do the exercises at least once a day. They taught me a few each week, and at the end of a couple months, they made a plan for me to do at home. I was driving three hours each way to get there, so I could not do it on an ongoing basis.

You have all posted some really great ideas here. My RSD is in my right hand which is my dominant hand which I thought was so much worse but hearing how much trouble everyone has with their non dominant hand makes me realize it wouldn't matter which hand it is both ways is bad. I did physical therapy for two years and it never helped. No one ever suggested OT. I have just moved and am waiting to get in with new doctors I will ask about OT when I see them.