Mr Pete,

Thank you for trying to get a greater understanding. That is more than many in health care try to do.

Like Ali, I have both HOT and COLD. My original RSD area (left foot) feels like it is burning. It gives off heat that others can feel and shows a nice bloom on thermography. It will swell and get red-purple-almost black like from blood pooling. The other foot has developed COLD type, where I feel like I am standing barefoot in the snow. Others can also feel the cold when they touch it.

Yes, Smoke and Marleen are saying "hands off" because there are times that any contact at all can be excruciating, but I know you are probably seeing people with "mild" cases, who are asking for your service. That being said, I think you should know that anything very cold will hurt, even with us that have the HOT type. It seems attractive, but because our nerves are screwed up, we can't always tell when it has been on too long, like "normal" people. Ice can literally damage the skin. Better to use slightly cool, like a few degrees lower than room temperature. A cool bath is good, because it will not cause any damage. NEVER ICE!

On the other hand, I can't seem to apply enough heat to make my right foot feel good for more than a couple of minutes. I will go to south Florida and bury my foot in the hot beach sand to attempt to warm it up! I keep a heating pad under my desk year-round, and I will wear a chemical foot warmer in my shoe even in warm weather. In that type of case, you could use warm compresses, but never a real hot pad directly on the RSD site. Again, we lack the proper nerve response to know when it might be causing a burn.

MODERATION!

Thanks for trying to help to get a better understanding.

Mike