Physical Therapy is a vital
treatment for RSDCRPS. It can help with range of motion, assist in
keeping the disease at bay and sometimes decrease pain levels. It should
be a mandatory, ongoing part of every person's treatment plan and can include
stretching, aqua therapy, walking and strengthening exercises.
Most doctors and research are in agreement that diagnosing a patient with CRPS and getting them into some kind of physical therapy can cause a patient to go into remission and halt the possible spread of the disease to other body parts. Physical therapy should begin within the first 6 weeks of contracting the disease. Therapy WILL hurt at first but you must find the fortitude to continue. Some patients experience rebound pain a day or two after a pt session but when it comes right down to it; you have to grit your teeth and continue on. I have spoken to several patients who have gone into remissions that have lasted for ten plus years because of this regime. However, if you are not diagnosed correctly then pt can assist in keeping your range of motion up and strengthening your body so that you do not lose what you have or end up in a wheelchair or walker prematurely.
Finding the right physical therapist is vital because in the hands of the wrong one the disease can accelerate. When deciding upon a therapist you should not be afraid to ask questions. The first question I would ask is if they know what RSDCRPS is. Make sure that you speak as clearly as possible; this is no time to play games. Some therapists may not know the actual name but know the disease. Sometimes you may not have a choice on which therapist you use because it is dictated by workman's comp or there may not be a choice in your area. If this is the case then contact RSDSA (The Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association - www.rsdsa.org). They have recently released a video specifically for physical therapists. You can also contact American RSD Hope (www.rsdhope.org) for additional videos and brochures aimed at the physical therapist.
The second question that you should ask is how many patients with RSDCRPS have you treated. Ideally the therapist should have treated between five and ten CRPS patients. Some therapists may say that they have not treated anyone with CRPS but have treated those in chronic pain. This is not the same thing as chronic pain patients generally do not have an aversion to ice or have allodynia which is a sensitivity to touch. I know that there are times when even the sheets on my bed or the clothes on my back hurt much less having someone actually touch the affected body part.
Remember the adage "No pain no gain" does not hold true for CRPS. We need to be thinking long term and not look for a fast fix. Acute pain and Chronic pain is not the same so what works for an acute patient will not work for a chronic. Be smart and approach this as if you are making a life and death decision because in the end the therapist we chose and the program we enter can make a world of difference.
The next question that you should ask a potential therapist is if they have an aqua therapy pool. Aqua therapy can assist in easing the allodynia as well as create a buoyancy that allows you to do more and exercise longer. There are patients that can not stomach land therapy but find that in the water they can exercise muscles and areas that have long been dormant. Make sure that you ask if the pool they use is a therapy pool and not a standard pool. A therapy pool is one where the water temperature exceeds 83 degrees and is often somewhere around 92 degrees. Most CRPS patients can not handle the cold of a regular pool. Another question to ask is if the pool is a lap pool or a regular pool. A lap pool is usually quite shallow so no floatation device is necessary. Exercising in a lap pool allows the patient to include a cardio section in their therapy that might be hard to accomplish on land or in a regular pool. Once again RSDSA has created an aqua therapy instructional video for physical therapists. The Arthritis Foundation also has information on aqua therapy that can be altered for a CRPS patient.
The last question to ask a potential therapist is whether the therapist plans to tailor a program to meet your specific needs or whether you will be placed in their regular program. CRPS patients tend to do better when their specific weaknesses are addressed which can be quite different from what the therapist is used to doing.
I encourage each CRPS patient to make physical therapy a part of their regular day; whether you go to a gym or if you do it on your own. Physical Therapy is not supposed to increase your pain but decrease it. Once you find a therapist who is familiar with CRPS then develop a relationship with them. This is your body and your disease; you need to be able to trust your therapist implicitly so don't hesitate to ask questions, educate them or even shop around until you find the best match for you.
Most doctors and research are in agreement that diagnosing a patient with CRPS and getting them into some kind of physical therapy can cause a patient to go into remission and halt the possible spread of the disease to other body parts. Physical therapy should begin within the first 6 weeks of contracting the disease. Therapy WILL hurt at first but you must find the fortitude to continue. Some patients experience rebound pain a day or two after a pt session but when it comes right down to it; you have to grit your teeth and continue on. I have spoken to several patients who have gone into remissions that have lasted for ten plus years because of this regime. However, if you are not diagnosed correctly then pt can assist in keeping your range of motion up and strengthening your body so that you do not lose what you have or end up in a wheelchair or walker prematurely.
Finding the right physical therapist is vital because in the hands of the wrong one the disease can accelerate. When deciding upon a therapist you should not be afraid to ask questions. The first question I would ask is if they know what RSDCRPS is. Make sure that you speak as clearly as possible; this is no time to play games. Some therapists may not know the actual name but know the disease. Sometimes you may not have a choice on which therapist you use because it is dictated by workman's comp or there may not be a choice in your area. If this is the case then contact RSDSA (The Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association - www.rsdsa.org). They have recently released a video specifically for physical therapists. You can also contact American RSD Hope (www.rsdhope.org) for additional videos and brochures aimed at the physical therapist.
The second question that you should ask is how many patients with RSDCRPS have you treated. Ideally the therapist should have treated between five and ten CRPS patients. Some therapists may say that they have not treated anyone with CRPS but have treated those in chronic pain. This is not the same thing as chronic pain patients generally do not have an aversion to ice or have allodynia which is a sensitivity to touch. I know that there are times when even the sheets on my bed or the clothes on my back hurt much less having someone actually touch the affected body part.
Remember the adage "No pain no gain" does not hold true for CRPS. We need to be thinking long term and not look for a fast fix. Acute pain and Chronic pain is not the same so what works for an acute patient will not work for a chronic. Be smart and approach this as if you are making a life and death decision because in the end the therapist we chose and the program we enter can make a world of difference.
The next question that you should ask a potential therapist is if they have an aqua therapy pool. Aqua therapy can assist in easing the allodynia as well as create a buoyancy that allows you to do more and exercise longer. There are patients that can not stomach land therapy but find that in the water they can exercise muscles and areas that have long been dormant. Make sure that you ask if the pool they use is a therapy pool and not a standard pool. A therapy pool is one where the water temperature exceeds 83 degrees and is often somewhere around 92 degrees. Most CRPS patients can not handle the cold of a regular pool. Another question to ask is if the pool is a lap pool or a regular pool. A lap pool is usually quite shallow so no floatation device is necessary. Exercising in a lap pool allows the patient to include a cardio section in their therapy that might be hard to accomplish on land or in a regular pool. Once again RSDSA has created an aqua therapy instructional video for physical therapists. The Arthritis Foundation also has information on aqua therapy that can be altered for a CRPS patient.
The last question to ask a potential therapist is whether the therapist plans to tailor a program to meet your specific needs or whether you will be placed in their regular program. CRPS patients tend to do better when their specific weaknesses are addressed which can be quite different from what the therapist is used to doing.
I encourage each CRPS patient to make physical therapy a part of their regular day; whether you go to a gym or if you do it on your own. Physical Therapy is not supposed to increase your pain but decrease it. Once you find a therapist who is familiar with CRPS then develop a relationship with them. This is your body and your disease; you need to be able to trust your therapist implicitly so don't hesitate to ask questions, educate them or even shop around until you find the best match for you.
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