RSD Alert

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Index to non-Drug Treatments for RSD/CRPS

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Treatments

Treatments on RSD Alert

(Information - plus comments from correspondents)

Mirror Therapy
Description
 This procedure aims to "teach" the brain that the limb where pain is being felt is actually OK. A mirror is set up alongside the unaffected limb so that its mirro image looks like the affected limb. The unaffected limb is then exercised and, of course, there is no pain. The brain "sees" what looks like the painful limb working OK without pain and "learns" that it can be moved without harm.
Notes

 

 The procedure works on the principle that RSD/CRPS is fundamentally a brain issue. The pain signals that gives us so much trouble are not rooted in a current injury in the limb where the pain is felt, but in false messages given out via the central nervous system. The procedure was first tried on sufferers with "phantom limb syndrome" (amputees who feel pain in limbs that are not longer present) and later tried on RSD patients.

Comments
If you click on my blog, go to the left “archives” and click on August it will take you to the start. Then click on September for more. I’ve put photos of what I do with mirrors and pics of Doc, some chasing waves. Also shots of the area around here. Doctors in UK originally had the idea to consider mirrors in relation to crps after they discovered that phantom limb pain can be stopped using them. What you do is place the mirror so that it is against your body and the missing “leg” side is hidden. Then do movements with the other leg while looking in the mirror so that you are seeing its mirror image. Look at the mirror while you exercise the limb. The brain thinks that it’s the missing limb and that it’s ok. The pain stops. Seems far fetched doesn’t it. There has been research done using mirrors in the same way where the crps sufferer hides the painful side and moves the non painful part whilst looking in the mirror. The first time I tried it was for my left shoulder which has a long standing problem. At the time I did it my whole left side was very painful. I felt like tearing my teeth out and the pain went from m,y head right down the side into my legs and feet. At first I felt the shoulder relax a bit. I put it down to being focused on what I was doing. I only moved my good arm up and down 10 times. More that that and I have pain in that side which would be counterproductive. I did this about 3 times the first day and for several days later. Gradually the pain eased until after three days the all the pain except in the shoulder was gone. I keep doing the therapy and the shoulder eases but has not gone completely. I think there is a mechanical issue causing an irritation of the nerve which ramps things up. I’ve since stopped the pain of Morton’s Neuroma (right foot) and Bursitis (right leg). I’ve still to work out how to make it work with the back. Dr Lorimer Mosely and David Butler wrote a book about the “virtual body”. You can read about it here http://www.noigroup.com

Hope this helps you understand. I think there are far reaching implications for all chronic pain sufferers as after a while the brain is altered in those with chronic pain.
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