Received INITIAL PODIATRIC CONSULTATION AND EVALUATION REPORT FROM FOOT SPECIALIST

[Sunshine7]

Cycler do you have CRPS? if not how do you know they don't suffer horribly for life?

[Cycler]

Thanks. Everything I've read on CRPS treatment states that drugs don't work ( much ) and that functional restoration via PT and movement is the only demonstrably effective treatment to resolve or improve it. ( meaning that a SCS is only palliative)

chrischris Wrote:Cycler, In your research, you must have read articles or interviewed Dr. Steven Feinberg. He runs a pain clinic in the Bay Area, and was a recent contributor to the ACOEM chapter 6, on pain management, and an expert with the AMA guidelines.

Here is an article he wrote on CRPS/RSD:
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkjS6T05LYC...salgia.pdf

I believe, IMHO, that his approach to "functional restoration" is the best modality available to an RSD patient. He is very positive, and gives his patients and followers "hope" to lead a relatively normal life, in spite of RSD. His approach is that the patient must "take charge" of their condition and not sit around having a pity poo party.

I don't think I was misleading in anyway with Sunshine, and I only hope for her the best. I did forget to mention to her, and I thought of it afterwards, that the best treatment for me with RSD was when I took charge by "religiously" doing home therapy. Sometimes it feels like the movie "groundhog day" and you have to start all over again when you wake up, but by moving, doing gentle exercises, desentization, pacing yourself, medication as prescribed, psycho-therapy to help you learn to live with your pain, etc., etc........

Sunshine, if I have given you a doom and gloom feeling about RSD, I apologize. The important thing is for you to get treatment as early as possible, and learn all you can about RSD.

Cycler, have you read the Almarez/Guzman en blanc decision? Dr. Feinberg was the AME on either one or both of those cases. I can't remember for sure.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/wcab/EnBancdecisio...ep2009.pdf

Take Care

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Sunshine7, it's not that Cycler has it or not, just like does your doctor have it or not, or even does the doctor you see know really how to treat CRPS/RSD. There is information out there is what these people are showing you, and they are providing web links for you to read all the variables of this condition. As in the medical field, there is always information stating one thing, then more stating another thing. Basiclly, the most propper treatment is to work on this with a medical doctor that knows how too, and to treat it in the very early stages. People here are saying to you, if treated too late in it's stage, it will be harder to control later. But, if treated early enough, it is something you will be trained to deal with, if it does become a life long condition.

[chrischris]

I agree with that pretty much.

[Sunshine7]

Thanks I understand that, I feel I am at the last stage, I have read the links over and over I have had all the other symptoms, and I accept this for life no problem, I am currently working on getting a pm. Life sucks when you have to depend on someone else for everything, my grandmaother is 85 years old still rakes, mows, cleans her own house by herself, that is how I looked at my future before this injury occured.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Sunshine, your nowhere near the end stage trust us. You are at the beging of a new stage (CRPS/RSD), as your first stage was the injury that took place and end stage of only that stage. Your now starting a new stage. As for your grandma, you still can do what she has done, as your not there yet.... You going to have plenty of time still to combat a new DX which is now CRPS/RSD. But, you first need to be properly DX and then properly treated. You haven't been there yet.

[chrischris]

Sunshine, Please don't pay too much attention to the staging. Most don't use the staging anymore as the symptoms can go back and forth from stage 1 to stage 4 at anytime. You will be ok!!!! Life altering injuries are hard to accept and it may serve you well to talk to a counselor.