All the objective pain measures were significantly lower. Melody was able to complete a number of range of motion tests without pain. And, that was after an uncomfortable and very long flight. Dr. Kirkpatrick said that the key was to do heated pool therapy and reduce stress. He spoke more about the heated pool and why it was so helpful. 1) weight bearing is minimized. 2) water exercise is least likely to cause injury. 3) the water acts as a profound stress reliever in itself. 4) the water aids in desensitizing the skin. Melody is supposed to track her endurance for exercise, and measure her need for future treatment according to changes in her endurance level. If after being in the water for three minutes the water still feels cold then it is not hot enough. She should exercise to the point where she will have some pain afterward but not a lot.
Dr. Kirkpatrick also said that functional MRIs have proven that pain in RSD patients is routed through the limbic system first rather than through the cortex as in non-RSD people. The limbic system controls emotion. So, stress increases pain. He said getting yourself into "stressball" can reduce progress and increase pain. Stress needs to be avoided. Dr. Kirkpatrick reiterated to me not bringing up the P word all the time (Pain). "How are you feeling?" is not a good question because it actually can increase stress rather than focusing on positives.
Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for continued progress in the therapy and for Melody to get stronger and stronger. We are grateful for where we are at this point.
Thanks for praying.
