FAQ These are "Frequently Asked Questions"
- but are they your questions? To
submit a factual question click
QUESTION. To write to a member of our correspondence Team click CONTACT.
IMPORTANT
RSD Alert collates information to help you manage
your condition but we have no medically qualified personnel. You need
to keep in touch with your own medical advisor.
FAQ
Should I keep exercising
even when I am in pain?
My remission was earned through a
great deal of pain. I went to a private physiotherapist (I had private
health insurance at the time) and went to weekly sessions from March
to December 1999. Meanwhile, I practised the exercises on my own
in 4 sessions a day of up to 30 minutes. I used to keep a bucket
of cold water beside the chair while I was exercising the hand.
When the pain became too intense I just doused the hand to reduce
the pain so I could carry on with the exercises. My physiotherapist
assured me that I couldn't do any damage this way (X-rays showed
that the fracture was completely healed).
As I worked through the pain I found that the more flexibility
I achieved the less pain I experienced. It was excruciating at
the time, but all the effort paid off. Retrospectively, I would
say it would have been worth paying for physiotherapy if I hadn't
already been insured. It seems that physiotherapists are better
informed about this condition than the average doctor (though
that comment is a generalisation). It is worth asking around to
find a local physiotherapist who has experience of dealing with
the condition.
My philosophy is this - a painful limb that works is better than
a painful limb that doesn't work. So keep at it! However, you
should always take note of the character of the pain you are feeling.
After all, healthy athletes suffer injury if they over-exercise.
If the pain is unchanged from its normal character then it is
worth continuing with the exercise. If it begins to feel different
- as if the limb is tired or strained - it is time to stop. Since
RSD pain is unrelated to actual injury you have to ignore it much
of the time or you would never exercise at all - then pain would
increase because of lack of use. But you must be sensible and
pace yourself. Derrick Phillips - Editor of RSD Alert
www.rsdalert.co.uk
for correspondence click CONTACT
