Its the best thing in the world to be told that someone is really pleased with your progress...it makes all your hard work worth it and sometimes in this journey that is crps, hard work seems like a waste of time.

My Mum drove me out for physio the other day, every time we say that we went to Kaiapoi for physio people look at us strangely and my auntie commented that it was rather a long way to go from Dunedin hehe-at least my Mum didn't have to drive all that way! But it is worth it, I haven't found anyone else who works the way she does and she has a totally different approach from the sports/rehab/manual physio's who are the norm.

She totally understands people in chronic pain, never makes you feel like you somehow brought it on yourself and makes you feel more in control of everything.

I am coping much better overall on the new med combination and combined with the tens and mirroring I get through most days. I have my days (as you all know) when despite all this I do not cope well but this is no miracle cure, just a management plan. I am getting out and about more and have a bit more confidence in myself though I still have a long way to go on this.

She has tweaked my balance program a bit so that I am able to do it without constant flaring (I have been very slack in doing it because of the immediate painflare) so hopefully that means I start progressing with this too.

She seemed a bit concerned about the fact that I still have quite prominent swelling from my hip surgery (last surgery was June 07), I asked her about the pain along my incision and she thinks some will be due to all the swelling. So now I have to see if I can wear some fitting leggings and see if the light pressure helps at all and go ahead and get a steroid injection but to get my pain doc to do it rather than my ortho surgeon.

I also have weak hip external rotators probably also left over from surgery and the fact I never make this leg do anything. And you know she said it was pointless to specifically try and strengthen them, that it is functional movements that will help this muscle so I need to concentrate on standing up better initially and I am doing mirror movements-apparently it is proven that mirror movements will strengthen a muscle on the other side by 30%!

When I come back home after exams in November she is going to take me to the pool and give me a hydrotherapy program!
So all in all, a very productive visit.

3 comments:

Nicola said...

I am soo glad you are making some headway :) It is great finding a good physio & makes a huge difference to your recovery. I wonder if Cupping would help the swelling round your incision. My swelling is still very prominent round the scar area & my physio thinks with time, massage & cupping techniques it should reduce significantly. I hope so anyway! Really happy you are having a brighter day & hope you enjoy your time off *hugs*.

Lisa Moon said...

Hmm, I wonder if there's anyone in my neck of the woods who does mirror therapy; my doctors (both med rehab specialist and pain management) said 'sorry, not much we can do for CRPS; just take those meds.' Clearly if I'm to prevent it from worsening, let alone improve, I'm to do the research myself. Sigh, why must it always be that way?!

Alessea said...

Nikki I wouldn't mind trying out some of those massage techniques you are talking about, I'm just not sure if I would tolerate the pain...does your physio know of anyone in my neck of the woods who does the same thing?

Lisa I'm going to write a post and put some pics of mirror therapy, its really easy and you can do it all on your own, maybe it will help you a bit too?