You may have seen that I broke/sprained both my feet a couple months ago.
Multiple doctors said “let your pain be your guide” to walking. I needed a wheelchair to start but had a walking boot, splints, bandages, crutches & a walker so I could advance in movement as the healing progressed.
I should have been walking without support after 6 weeks but in fact the pain and swelling was worse. So I returned to the orthopedic who suggested I have CRPS.
This is an uncommon condition often triggered by an injury or surgery.
As I understand it, CRPS is essentially a disconnect in either the brain or spine to the affected limb (in my case both feet), causing:
- Pain, numbness, burning, tingling
- Swelling
- Temperature fluctuations
- Color changes (mine turn purple and sometimes mottled)
- Texture changes (mine become glossy and prune like)
I had two nerve blocks last Friday.
- Stellar ganglion block (SGB) which I’ve been getting to calm the nervous system
- Lumbar sympathetic nerve block to calm the CRPS
The lumbar block hurt like hell but brought instant relief to my feet. I still have pain but it’s mostly a deeper pain. The nerve pain was much reduced, the color turned from purple to a pink mottled look immediately (like we could watch the change as we sat there), and the texture returned to normal.
But that hasn’t lasted – it’s still better (4 days later) but seems to be trickling back slowly.
I’ve read stories of CRPS lasting for life. Different people find different treatments helpful and I am optimistic that early treatment will stop the CRPS from becoming permanent.
2 other treatments in my wheelhouse:
- Low dose ketamine 3 times daily – hate this one but not willing to not try to keep the pain away
- IVIG (immunoglobulin) – these are antibodies taken from blood donations administered over a 6-8 hour period twice a month
What this looks like in my daily life:
- I can’t stand very long
- Most of the time I can’t walk very far (I need support to get down the hall and use a wheelchair out of the house)
- Prior to the nerve block, touch was unbearable on both feet – even a sheet laying across the top was excruciating – socks and shoes are off the table. That’s improved but still uncomfortable.
- The pain and swelling were so bad I could not effectively do any PT after the injuries. The nerve block is allowing some movement for PT so hopefully I can get ahead of any damage from the sprains.
- I don’t care how they look but they sure haven’t been pretty!
If you’re interested, I’m keeping track of my foot journey in one post HERE. It’s mainly for me but the photos show the changes.
Learn more about CRPS:
