Treatment for CRPS varies. I think I’ve been lucky here in France that my condition was recognised and diagnosed fairly early. It doesn’t make it hurt any less, but it gives me abetter chance of recovering some of the use of my left hand.

When the lower part of my cast was removed Dr B wrote Algodystrophie on a prescription for 20 sessions of physiotherapy.

I’m going to call him Doctor BonnyBones because he’s the bone man and I like giving people nicknames.

By some strange quirk, all the doctors I have seen have surnames beginning with ‘B’.

Physiotherapy for CRPS

In my opinion, physiotherapy isn’t enough on its own. My therapist did a great job of desensitising my hand so I could bear someone touching it.

Non-sufferers find it hard to understand why something as simple as a change of temperature can cause the CRPS patient even more pain.

I had physio every day. I feel sorry for sufferers who get to see a therapist only once or twice a week. It isn’t enough. I had 20 sessions, but it wasn’t enough. It was a beginning and I’m grateful to M for pestering me to go back to my general practitoner for better pain relief. Without adequate pain relief, therapy sessions are unbearably painful.

Is there a cure for CRPS?

No.

Watch this brief video for an explanation.

So, all we sufferers can hope for is an improvement in mobility and a means of controlling the pain.

After my 20 sessions of physiotherapy showed only minor improvements, Dr BonnyBones referred me to to the nerve specialist. I’m going to call him Dr Bazooka. It unnerved (pun intended) me a little to see that Dr Bazooka operated out of an annexe tacked onto a geriatric hospital, but he lived up to the nickname I’ve given him. He blasted through French bureaucracy, picked up the phone and spoke to a colleague.

I was booked into a day hospital.

I arrived on April 1st. I didn’t know I was booked in for 8 weeks! Some April fool, huh?

To be continued. See how Lady Penelope Strongbow gets on at the clinic.

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