At this time of year, many CRPS patients will experience increased levels of pain and discomfort due to the change in weather. How and why? Find out.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is excruciating for sufferers, causing constant pain and major discomfort, especially in winter. As an experienced CRPS lawyer firm, we engage with sufferers on a daily basis and understand that when the weather changes and the temperature drops, many CRPS patients report a severe change in their symptoms and find that they experience increased levels of discomfort. In fact, some sufferers are allegedly able to predict when a storm is on its way due to the subtle changes in their pain. To find out how and why the change in weather worsens pain, read our blog post.
With storms, cold winds, fog, and sometimes snow, the winter season can be unpleasant for most people, especially for complex regional pain syndrome patients, whose symptoms flare up and worsen as a result of extreme weather conditions. Some believe that pain is worsened by barometric pressure; when the temperature drops, barometric pressure, the weight of the atmosphere surrounding us, will also drop. As the pressure drops, this adds extra pressure to our joints, resulting in symptoms worsening and pain becoming worse.
Supporting the connection between CRPS and the cold weather, researchers from the University of Manchester carried out a large-scale study on 9,000 chronic pain sufferers in three UK cities, Leeds, London, and Norwich. Each day, CRPS sufferer recorded their symptoms on daily basis to find out once and for all whether or not cold weather was the culprit of their extreme pain. The study, called Cloudy With a Chance of Pain, obtained interesting results; during the sunnier months between February and April, patients experienced lower levels of pain, however during June, when the weather was wetter and there were fewer hours of sunshine, higher levels of pain and discomfort were recorded.
If you’re a complex regional pain syndrome sufferer and want to know how you can relieve your painful symptoms during the winter months, check out these tips:
Apply heat – Use a hot pack or warm towel to heat up the area that’s causing you pain. When doing this, make sure you don’t overheat the area and take breaks to avoid burning. Exercise – Take part in light, regular exercise to stay active and keep your joints moving. If your joints are still for a certain amount of time, you will become stiff and could experience higher levels of pain. Bathe – Warm baths are great for warming joints and relaxing. To further relieve symptoms, try adding some essential oils to produce calming smells. Pain management – For sufferers, pain management clinics sometimes prove helpful, showing patients how to better manage and treat their pain. Bundle up – This may seem obvious, but wrapping up during the winter months is a great way to keep warm and as pain-free as possible.
As a leading CRPS solicitor, Ronty Rhodes is experienced in handling cases and working alongside sufferers. As a result, we know the condition well and work hard to earn the compensation our clients deserve. If you suffer from CRPS as a result of an accident or injury, give us a call at 0808 123 0003 to discover how we can help you.
The moment the words ‘get active’ escape their lips my focus shifts 100% to holding back the incredible urge to roll my eyes. For the most part, unsuccessfully.
It’s like constantly replaying the perfect vine loop of watching Groundhog Day over and over. We keep hearing how we need to get active in order to feel better. But, what people don’t understand is, we need to feel better in order to get active in the first place.
Press play and repeat day after day after day the exhausting loop plays.
For five years I spent a lot of days, months actually, beating myself up for not being active. It’s exhausting silently screaming at yourself constantly to get up and get active.
Then about a year ago I started listening to music again. Not only did the right playlist cheer me up, but often I’d catch myself bee bopping to the music.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t pulling off DWTS or anything. Sometimes I was simply swaying to the music or shuffling around like Tim Conway. But, I was standing and I was moving.
Which when you are battling fibromyalgia’s chronic pain, counts as getting active as far as I’m concerned. Music doesn’t always get me moving. But, it does some days and in my opinion, that’s better than no days at all.
Anyway, I remembered how much I loved going out dancing and how good it made me feel and so for a while now I’ve been working at wiggling my butt daily.
The right playlist lifts my spirits and gets me moving
I created a bunch of personal mood–lifting playlists. Each one is 6 songs and about 20 minutes long. While prepping for my shower, I press play, and more days than not the music gets me swaying. I always try to get boogieing before hopping into the shower, because I’m usually physically zapped after.
Turns out, well for me anyway, that music is good medicine. Hmmm, who knew?
What I had to learn was, to set the bar at a realistic level for me. And, to give me credit for any and all physical activity. To encourage me to get up and just get moving instead of putting myself down because I expected my version of “getting active” to be on par with die-hard gym-goers or the people I see out jogging.
It’s time Fellow Fibro Warriors to pat yourself on the back each and every time you wiggle that butt, even if it’s ever so slightly.
As a knowledgeable fibromyalgia lawyer firm, we reveal all about ultrasound therapy and how it can be used to treat the condition.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are debilitating, causing severe pain for sufferers all over the body. As well as this, patients may also experience extreme fatigue, stiffness, sleep deprivation, and headaches, making everyday life an ongoing battle. At the moment, there is no cure for fibromyalgia and, due to its unpredictable behaviors, treating it can be a complex process. As an experienced fibromyalgia lawyer firm, we know too well how the condition can have a negative impact on sufferers’ lives, which is why we offer support like no other in times of need. In this blog post, we discuss ultrasound therapy in more detail and explain how it works as a potential treatment for fibromyalgia.
Ultrasound therapy is a technique widely used by physical therapists to treat pain and stiffness, involving the use of an ultrasound probe and a transmission coupling gel. The probe is used to sweep over the areas of the body that are known to be painful or stiff, emitting waves that pass through the skin and cause the local soft tissues to vibrate. The vibrations caused by the probe then increase levels of hemoglobin, a molecule that shuttles oxygen to the body’s cells and tissues, as well as tissue temperature which improves blood circulation through tissues.
Therapeutic ultrasound increases blood flow through tissues, removing waste products that can cause muscle pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
In addition to the above, increased blood flow is also known for oxygenating the body’s tissues, which is a huge plus for fibromyalgia sufferers; poor tissue oxygenation is known to worsen symptoms.
Ultrasound therapy has been found to reduce musculoskeletal pain levels in fibromyalgia patients.
Ultrasound therapy is considered to be very safe; although ultrasound probes heat up during the course of the treatment, the risk of burns is very low and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’re being treated by a qualified professional.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia and want to give therapeutic ultrasound a try, you should get in touch with your GP, local physiotherapist, or physical therapist to find out if they offer this treatment modality. We would always recommend getting in touch with your GP beforehand to ensure that this treatment is suitable for your specific case.
This method of treatment is relatively short, usually lasting for 10 minutes, meaning that the cost associated is typically low. If the treatment works for you, there are therapeutic ultrasound machines that can be purchased for home use in the future.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia as a result of an accident or injury, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our helpful team of qualified fibromyalgia lawyersas you could be entitled to compensation. We have vast experience in handling fibromyalgia claims and could help you.
Why my own of course. Rationally I’m aware that there is no magic bar that’s been set for me by others. There is no invisible line of measurement being monitored for results. Nobody is judging my achievements let alone defining what those are.
Well, that’s not entirely true. There is me, and I’m quite adept at setting the bar way too high for my current physical state. I’m living a life with Fibromyalgia and I won’t cut myself any slack, nor give myself proper credit for the incredible effort I put into moving around each and every single day of my life.
Rationally, I know this. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any easier to accept. Nor does it keep me from constantly nagging myself in my head. It’s exhausting, and so…
Not only will I be taking it one task at a time, but I’m also going to pat myself on the back whenever I finish one. I’m switching into positive reinforcement mode, stepping away from negative mode, and becoming a cheerleader in my mind.
Today is a fibromyalgia day. Not a flare, but rather a not-so-subtle WARNING. If I push too hard there will be consequences.
Here goes, I’m giving encouragement a whirl. Congrats self! You made your bed, swept, took a shower, and tidied the kitchen.
Oh, right, and I also cleaned a toilet!
Take care, my chronic friends,BTW — you’re doing a great job today
Fibromyalgia is such an intricate illness. Currently, there is no cure, however many patients find a mixed approach to soothe flare-ups and live a normal life. Fibromyalgia manifests differently in individuals; for example, some people with fibromyalgia are sensitive to heat and others to cold, while some sufferers also face multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or other co-existing conditions. Patients are often forced to take a trial-and-error approach in order to discover what works best for them, which can be costly. This is why therapeutic gifts can be well received by sufferers.
Below is a complete list of gift ideas to suit all types of fibromyalgia patients and cater to all budgets. These gifts can be used to warm up their spirit during the winter holidays, reward a friend or family member for achievement, show appreciation to a parent or grandparent, or make a friend feel special on their birthday. Whatever the occasion is, each gesture is sure to leave an impression and reveal how much you care about their wellbeing.
If you’ve noticed your loved one is struggling with an everyday task, like turning their neck, while driving, checking their blind spots, or moving hot pots or skillets while cooking, there may be tools, tricks, and gadgets that you can pick up to ease these daily burdens.
The animal championship has been proven to aid fibromyalgia patients, both physically and mentally, from simply lifting fibro sufferers’ moods to providing a means of escaping the agony of their symptoms. If you and/ or your loved one aren’t in the position to take in a furry friend or aren’t particularly drawn to them, there are community resources available to visit pets for a shorter period of time. Why not plan a day trip? You may be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of spending time with an animal.
Massage therapy is highly recommended for fibromyalgia patients, to reduce general stiffness and promote flexibility. Many fibromyalgia sufferers receive massages on a regular basis to replace more conventional medical treatments that have negative side effects, such as painkillers. A gift card for a massage at a spa, or an appointment for a therapist to make a home visit, make great gifts for people with chronic pain.
If your loved one is up for trying something new and maybe even pushing their boundaries, there are several groundbreaking remedies, involving modern medicines and traditional healing, that they can try. Being exposed to something they usually wouldn’t be, may even result in them finding an alternative remedy that aids their fibromyalgia symptoms. Here are some suggestions:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment is the process of heightening a patient’s oxygen levels, by delivering pure oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressures in an enclosed chamber.
Floatation R.E.S.T. (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy/Technique) is floating on top of a 25cm deep pool of salt water in a specially designed tank.
Acupuncture treatmentinvolves the use of “very fine single-use pre-sterilized needles to stimulate specific acupuncture points on your body” and can be combined with other Chinese medicine techniques.
Continuing on the health trend, yoga and low-impact exercises are known to naturally ease fibromyalgia pain. A package for beginner lessons at a studio may make a great present for your loved one with fibromyalgia. This could also be something you try together, and it could even become a regular bonding activity, or simply an opportunity for them to blow off steam and refuel.
If your loved one is already into fitness, there are plenty of complimentary gifts to support their efforts. Infrared workout clothes are designed to enhance the benefits of exercise with a heat-promoting feature, which works twofold to reduce the severity of pain. Wearable technology for fitness is trending right now, especially in the fibromyalgia community.
If your loved one with fibromyalgia loves music, a new set of headphones will make a great therapeutic gift, considering listening and interacting with music has shown to deliver positive results for chronic conditions.
A musical playlist is both a thoughtful and inexpensive gift. Include some of their favorite songs to peak positive memories or introduce them to a new mix of relaxing music to calm their mind and ease their pain. If you’re unsure of their taste in music or prefer they choose their own albums, you can always give a voucher from iTunes, Amazon, or an alike site, to purchase digital music. Alternatively, you can subscribe yourselves to a program like Spotify or Apple Music to discover new music on-demand and collaborate to make ongoing playlists.
Bath-time treats make great gifts for just about everyone, especially people with fibromyalgia. There’s nothing more soothing than sinking into a warm bath, so why not maximize that experience with some candles or an aromatherapy oil burner? Essential body or bath oils will add an element of luxury to this experience. And, it’s worth noting that lavender is a particularly soothing scent that can aid a good night’s sleep.
Preparing someone’s favorite home-cooked meal will brighten their day and give them something to look forward to. And while you’re at it, why not go the extra mile and stock their fridge with healthy ingredients and their cupboards with mineral supplements, like Vitamin D, that are proven to be beneficial for fibromyalgia?
Looking back to the beginning of my fibro tale. I don’t believe pharmacy was necessarily the wrong choice for me at the time.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last two years it’s that no two single Fibro–tales are exactly the same. No two sets of triggers are exactly the same.
I had tumbled a little too far into the abyss and was dangling by a thread above the danger zone. So, I decided on the shortcut, quicker results to bring me back from the brink, both physically and mentally.
For this reason, I filled the first prescription. Which turned out to be the first of many more to come. As one might expect given the circumstances, I needed to get “a little bit well” to tackle life head-on again. So, I decided I would deal with the consequences later.
I don’t regret my choice otherwise, I believe without medicine and the support of my amazing Doctor I might not be here today sharing my Fibro–Tale with you.
After overcoming some uhhhhh shall we call them setbacks? A few months ago I finally decided it was time to start putting some of what I’ve learned about the many faces of my fibromyalgia to use. Now that the urgent stuff had been taken care of, time to try some new things.
I have decided to test the waters at decreasing the number of medications I am taking and to introduce some non-pharmaceutical healing “practices” into my life.
Why? I have finally reached acceptance. Two years into the fibro tale that is now my life, I am at last ready to meet the new me.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating illness that takes many forms, has numerous symptoms, and no known cure is available from the standard medical community.
You might have some skeptical friends who doubt you are actually ill, perhaps they think you are simply malingering. However, chronic fatigue syndrome is a very real disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Yet often patients can be told ‘it’s all in your head’, or suffer comments from family and friends like ‘oh yes I get really tired too’, both of which show a complete lack of understanding that the illness is in fact very real.
Unfortunately, its common name, ‘chronic fatigue syndrome doesn’t help people’s perception that it’s not a real illness and it’s simply tiredness. The illness has two other names, Myalgic Encephalitis (ME) and Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID). Perhaps SEID helps describe the illness best as it does state a key feature of the illness i.e., the inability to tolerate exertion either mental or physical.
Fatigue is not the only symptom, although it is the one that most often typifies the disorder. And, this fatigue isn’t simply a feeling of being a bit tired or sluggish. A good night’s sleepdoesn’t help the fatigue which gets worse after mental exhaustion or physical activity and can take several days of bed rest to recover from.
There is no available test or biomarker for the illness. And, what makes this disorder baffling is the severity, type, and a number of symptoms individuals suffer from.
No single cause of chronicfatigue syndrome is known, and in fact, it can be caused by multiple things, but it is likely that trauma or several traumas of some description triggered it.
Because there is no test available, a diagnosis from your doctor is generally only arrived at by ruling out other illnesses such as hypothyroid, sleep disorders, kidney problems, etc. Additionally, a diagnosis can only be given after you have had the symptoms for at least 6 months.
Unfortunately from a naturopathic point of view, this is 6 months during which time you could have already started testing to find out what lies at the root cause(s) of your chronicfatiguesyndrome. It’s also 6 months during which time your symptoms and illness may be getting worse.
Some people mistakenly believe that they cannot recover from chronic fatigue syndrome because standard allopathic medicine has no ‘cure’, there’s no ‘pill’ they can be given to make chronic fatigue syndrome go away.
At the other end of the spectrum, others think if they just wait it out, chronic fatigue syndrome will disappear of its own accord. While this might happen, if you are lucky, it’s pretty unlikely. Without getting proper treatment, which gets to the root cause(s) of your particular form of chronic fatigue syndrome it can not only last for many years but during that time, gradually get worse.
Time can pass without your symptoms worsening, or new symptoms making an appearance. There can even be periods of time when you start to feel a little better. But there will be times too when you relapse and get worse. This is the point when your health declines even further.
You may be the type of person who is willing to wait it out to see if you can recover by yourself. However, I know from my experience that had I found the right naturopathic help and treatment sooner, my health would not have declined to the extent it did.
Chronic fatigue syndrome rarely develops overnight, but there is usually an event or series of events that lead up to it. The tricky thing is that it’s often not until you start getting treatment do you realize what those triggering events were.
During your journey with the illness, you’ll get many signs chronic fatigue syndrome isn’t going away. Most of the signs sneak up on you slowly. You adapt your life around your illness which can mask the reality of your worsening health condition.
The signs show themselves in various forms, some are physical, some mental, some behavioral, and some environmental. Many you may think do not relate to your illness at all. However, even the signs that show up in your home and work environment are rooted in your illness.
Additionally, there are a multitude of signs you should take careful note of to gauge if your chronic fatigue syndrome is not only hanging around but actually becoming worse.
It is foolish to ignore any of these signs as they are signals your illness is progressing and you need to seek out the right form of treatment if you want to have any chance of recovery.
Each individual has their own unique journey with chronic fatigue syndrome. Some have a particularly debilitating form of the illness leaving them completely bedridden. Others have a less severe form that gradually deteriorates as the illness progresses. Whatever form your chronic fatigue syndrome takes, there will be signs that it’s not going away…
1.You Don’t Feel Like Socializing – You may have been a bit of a social butterfly in the past. Always one of the first to eagerly accept invitations to enjoy lunches, family BBQs, nights out with the girls, gallery openings, shopping trips, dinner out with some fine dining, invitations to parties, etc. But now you realize you haven’t had an outing in months, you just declined an invitation to a close friend’s wedding too.
In fact when was the last time you enjoyed a social occasion. Come to think of it, the last time you went out you left early and couldn’t wait to get home, crawl under the covers, and sleep. And now, it just all seems like way too much effort to take part in any socializing at all.
It’s going to take too much energy to work out what to wear for starters. Then you need to get in the car and drive half an hour to get there. Don’t even mention how exhausting it is to have to make polite chitchat to people who, if you’re honest, just drain your energy. Nope…..all too hard, you just stay home.
2. You Can’t Cope With Even The Slightest Stress – Known for your calm demeanor and your ability to just get on with things now you find you’re flying off the handle with the least provocation.
You arrive at work feeling pretty exhausted, get settled at your desk with the first coffee of the day, and proceed to open your email. Scrolling through your emails, you ask yourself when did you start getting so many emails, how are you expected to reply to all these emails in a day?
Your stress level is already rising when your colleague walks up to you and asks a simple question about a project you are both working on and you not only don’t have the answer but you want to scream at him/her to just go away.
It’s only 9 am and already you feel completely overwhelmed and terrified that you’re going to drop the ball. Your workload hasn’t increased, in fact, it’s currently the quietest time of the year in the business but it’s all too much to deal with, you just don’t have the mental energy to deal with a normal workday in your normal efficient way.
3. You Can’t Stand Noise And Bright Lights – Summoning all of your energy, you pull an outfit together from the back of the wardrobe, slap on some makeup, and get in the car determined to enjoy a night out. The friends you are meeting up with are fun, you enjoy their company and you’re looking forward to a few laughs.
It’ll be great to enjoy a couple of hours of lighthearted chat and catch up with everyone. Something to take your mind off how lacking in energy you are is just what you need.
As you walk into the venue you’re hit with a wall of flashing lights above the band in the corner who is playing way too loudly. OMG, you didn’t realize there would be music and definitely didn’t expect the flashing lights. Your friends are there already, getting stuck into a few drinks, yelling to each other to be heard above the music.
They wave to you and you realize this was a BIG mistake, you just can’t do this. The music is pounding in your head and the bright lights flashing on and off are make you feel like you’re about to throw up.
Waving to your friends and shaking your head, you start backing towards the door. All you can see is the startled looks on their faces as they see you turn on your heel and get out of there as fast as you possibly can. And now you have another problem, how on earth are you going to explain you’re weird behavior to your friends who you just ran out on?
4. You Don’t Sleep Well At Night– You used to be such a great sleeper. Getting between 8 or 9 hours of sleep was easy for you. Now, however, getting a solid 8-hour sleep seems to be a thing of the past. In fact, you can’t remember when you slept soundly through one entire night.
Not only that but something seems to have happened to your body clock because you can’t fall asleep easily either. Sometimes you fall asleep, only to wake up again an hour later and you’re wide awake with no hope of dropping off to sleep again.
Lately, you’ve also developed a pattern of waking up at around 3.15 each morning and at that time you’re wide awake and there is absolutely no hope of getting back to sleep before the alarm goes off. And when you do wake up, you feel just as exhausted as you did before you finally got to sleep.
5. You Develop Feelings Of Isolation– You seem to have lost touch with family and friends. And, it seems as if nobody understands what you are going through with this illness.
It doesn’t help that you’ve been on the receiving end of comments that suggest ‘you’re just being lazy or that ‘everyone gets tired from time to time, after all, we all have such busy lives. Nobody seems to understand what you’re going through.
Your doctor can’t help you and you don’t know where to turn for help. It feels as if you are truly alone and nobody understands that you are actually ill.
6. You Are No Longer Able To Work Full Time– It hurts, you were at the top of your game, climbing the corporate ladder, doing great and the future was looking very bright indeed. Thinking you could recover you kept on pushing through, ignoring the signs your body was giving that it was all too much for you.
Now you’ve arrived at the heartbreaking realization that you no longer have the capability to continue on your present career path because you simply cannot work a full day. You are seriously considering giving up your full-time position and looking for a job that is less taxing. It seems that working a few hours a week is all you can manage with your current state of fatigue.
7. You Dread Being Asked To A Function – Once the life and soul of the party, you now cringe if someone asks you to a function as you simply don’t have enough energy to work AND socialize. Your well-meaning friend doesn’t understand you are ill, after all, you look OK on the outside, you definitely don’t look sick and you work full time in your career. So what could possibly be wrong with you?
Not only that, but you declined the last couple of invitations they gave you. It’s beginning to look as though you just don’t want to spend time with them and you know that pretty soon the invitations will stop arriving if you don’t attend something soon.
8. You Develop Intolerance For An Increasing Number Of Food Types – Lately, you’ve noticed everything you eat seems to set off a reaction and you start sneezing, your eyes water, and your nose runs uncontrollably. Only by taking an antihistamine can you get it to let up. And what’s with that strange blotchy rash on your chest?
But yesterday the glass of wine, latte, and cheese sandwich you had were all OK, today….. not so much. Now you need to work out which one of those items is causing you to react, or is it all of them, yikes? Eliminating several foods from your diet has already been carried out, but it seems the list of your food sensitivities just keeps getting longer. Soon it will be very difficult to choose food that you won’t react to.
9. You Feel Depressed– You feel utterly helpless, and don’t know where to turn for help with your illness. Everyone around you seems to be enjoying a happy and healthy fun-filled life.
But you are trapped and unable to move. Lately, you’ve started feeling angry that people seem oblivious to your condition. All you want to do is stay curled up in bed all day while your thoughts just keep dragging you down further and further. You are considering a visit to the doctor for some medication. Perhaps he can give you something to lift your mood, some ‘happy pills’. But you are not sure if you want to start medicating your feelings away, doesn’t seem right somehow.
10. You Suffer An Increasing Number Of Crashes– Lately it seems like the amount of activity you are able to carry out is becoming less and less before you crash. You used to be able to work part-time, carry out normal domestic chores and shop each day.
However, lately, you can’t do all the cleaning and shopping you used to do before you have to take to your bed to recover. Experiencing a crash used to happen maybe once a month when you overdid it with the cleaning and you’d spend the next two days in bed. Lately, you seem to spend more time in bed during the week and less time on chores and activities.
11. You Take Longer To Recover From A Crash– During the last month, you’ve spent more days in bed than out of bed. Recovering from a crash normally takes a couple of days, then you can get up and resume your semi-normal life.
Lately, though it seems each crash takes four or more days in bed before you recover sufficient energy to just get up and sit on the sofa. You feel scared that soon you will become completely bedridden if things keep on going this way. Your life is becoming increasingly abnormal with more of it spent in bed as you have no energy to do anything else.
12. Your Home Environment Is A Cluttered Mess – As you look around your home you realize it looks like a horrible mess. It hasn’t been cleaned properly for ages but, more than that there is clutter everywhere. The kitchen is full of dirty dishes and half-empty food containers and there’s a coating of dust over all the furniture. Dirty laundry has piled up, you’re running out of clean clothes to wear and the laundry basket is overflowing.
There are old newspapers, magazines, and garbage everywhere, and every surface is cluttered with ‘stuff’ everywhere. Your home used to be so orderly, you took pride in your organizational and housekeeping skills.
But now that you take a good look around, your home is in disorganized chaos reflecting the chores you haven’t managed to do due to your lack of mental and physical energy. Gazing around, you realize it’s pretty disgusting. You knew you were letting things slip as your energy disappeared. But how did it get this bad?
13. Your Brain Fog Is Getting Worse – This morning you can’t find your purse. Rushing to get breakfast ready, your mind is racing. How can you have lost your purse? Trying to frantically retrace yesterday’s steps you think about where you could have left it. Maybe it’s still in the car? You turn to get the milk from the fridge, open the door, and Bingo! There’s your purse, on the top shelf of the fridge. It’s been there all night so at least you didn’t lose it.
The only harm done seems to be that your lipstick is now a bit frozen and too solid to put on. But why on earth would you have put your purse in the fridge?
Oh well, all’s well that ends well, you go upstairs to get some documents you need for work and at the top of the stairs can’t remember what you came up for. Down you go again, then you remember…… the documents!
People at work are starting to notice you seem to be a bit forgetful and a couple of comments have been made about your lateness getting reports in on time. Actually, it’s starting to become a bit embarrassing, you used to be the one everyone could rely on.
14. You Are Unable To Exercise– Your weekly routine for years was always to exercise about 3 or 4 times each week. You didn’t go mad, just some cardio or weights and the odd class to break up the monotony, it’s always been a great way to keep your weight under control.
You’ve kept your exercise routine pretty steady for years and enjoy a good fitness level. So you know that motivation isn’t a problem for you.
But last time you did 20 minutes on the treadmill you spent 4 days in bed recovering. Always a regular exerciser, now it seems that even a gentle 10-minute walk in the park is too much for you. But you know if you push it beyond 10 minutes, you’ll end up in bed for days recovering.
15. You Seem To Be Suffering From Anxiety – Never normally an anxious type of person, you’ve noticed strange feelings surface that you realize could be symptoms of anxiety. That weird churning feeling in your stomach that you know is not indigestion.
Often you feel dizzy and light-headed, but sort of restless at the same time. The other day you couldn’t find a space to park the car and your heart started beating out of control and you felt as if you were going to pass out or vomit, or all three at the same time.
In situations, you can normally handle you now feel completely out of control. The slightest upset seems to trigger many of these weird symptoms and feelings.
16. Your Eating Habits Are Out Of Control – Having always been conscious of maintaining a healthy diet, why on earth are you craving french fries and sweets every single day? Come mid-afternoon the lure of all that fat and sugary wrapped goodness luring you from the vending machine becomes too hard to ignore.
Watching TV in the evening you’ve just eaten an entire container of ice cream on your own. Healthy salads, fresh lightly steamed vegetables, salmon, and free-range chicken have lost their appeal. All you want now is fatty oily pastries, deep-fried food, and chocolate.
17. Your Hair Starts Falling Out– People have always commented on your crowning glory, you’re gloriously shiny healthy looking lustrous hair. During your shower this morning the water stops draining away and on closer inspection, you find the reason.
No need to call the plumber, it’s just your fallen hair clogging the drain. As you start to dry your hair you notice lots of hair in the brush. Your once thick hair is thinning and the texture is wiry and it’s kind of frizzy too. Unfortunately, it can no longer be described as a crowning glory so thin and straggly has it become.
18. You Develop An Irritated Bladder– It seems you can no longer get a full night’s sleep as you are constantly awake with the need to pee. Not only that but when you pee it burns badly.
After checking with the doctor you find there is no infection, however, it seems you have developed an irritated bladder. Your stomach feels a little tender and you have the annoying need to go to the toilet several times a day. It’s not only annoying but makes many activities impossible. For example, going to see a movie is now completely out of the question as you’ll miss half the movie while you spend so much time in the toilet.
19. You Experience Balance Issues And Muscle Weakness – Realizing your normal exercise routine is out of the question you try some simple yoga. However, it seems that even the relatively simple tree pose is too much for you.
Normally your balance is pretty good, but doing tree pose you find it impossible to balance on one leg. When you try cobra pose you find your arm strength has deserted you too. You simply cannot push yourself up on your arms, they are too weak. All of the simple poses you normally do are also out of the question. Looks like you’ll need to start practicing restorative yogainstead.
20. You Try To Sit Down As Much As Possible – The thought of standing in the shower for even five minutes is too much for you. You’ve started taking a bath each morning instead.
You use a rolling stool to sit on while doing chores as much as possible. Cooking, ironing, and laundry tasks are all carried out whilst sitting. Shopping expeditions are now a thing of the past, it’s too difficult to stand in queues and walk around stores. Instead, you’ve started ordering your groceries online so that you no longer have to make a trip to the mall.
By taking note of new or worsening symptoms, and changes in your work and living environment you can recognize the signs your illness is giving you that it’s here to stay. It’s not going to disappear of its own accord. Now is the time to find a naturopath/ functional medicine practitioner experienced in treating chronic fatigue syndrome who can help you recover.
After slipping on a wet floor and injuring herself, a nurse developed severe ComplexRegional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a condition that is known for causing a plethora of extremely painful symptoms. Due to the condition having such a negative impact on her life in every capacity, Ronty Rhodes Solicitors helped her to secure £50,000 in complex regional pain syndrome compensation.
Kathleen Ann McLeish, a 60-year-old nurse from Edinburgh, slipped on a wet floor, fell, and broke her wrist in 2011 while working as an emergency nurse practitioner. She was working in the Emergency Department of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at the time of the accident, and there were no signs to indicate that the floor was wet.
After the initial accident took place, Kathleen momentarily fainted in the resuscitation room and was immediately sent to the A&E department where, after receiving X-rays, a black slab was added to her fractured wrist. She was sent home with painkillers, and two weeks later, she was admitted to the hospital and underwent surgery to have an external fixation placed on her wrist and lower arm. She was expected to make a full recovery, but soon after the surgery, her fingers became swollen and extremely painful. Although no infection was discovered by professionals, Kathleen was prescribed antibiotics.
Six weeks later, the fixation was removed from Kathleen’s wrist and lower arm, and she began to attend physiotherapy on a weekly basis. Although a reasonable degree of movement returned to her wrist and fingers, she still felt stiffness, restricted movement, and swelling in her hand and wrist. By September the same year, three months after the initial fall took place, Kathleen was continuing to experience a feeling of tightness around her wrist, as well as considerable swelling in the fingers on her left hand, intermittent color changes, and occasional shooting pains.
Due to her persistent symptoms, she consulted her doctor who then diagnosed her with complex regional pain syndrome in her left hand, which was directly caused by the fracture she obtained from the initial fall. CRPS is a poorly understood condition that affects approximately 1 in 3,800 UK people each year and is usually caused by an accident or trauma. It typically affects the limbs and is known as one of the most painful of all medical problems, often causing extreme sensitivity, prolonged pain, stiffness, and cognitive impairment.
As a sufferer, Kathleen’s life has changed in a negative way. The symptoms she experiences prevent her from completing many day-to-day tasks, often leaving her reliant on assistance from others.
She has had to make many lifestyle changes in order to maintain her independence. She has had to adjust the clothes she wears, and only wears clothing with zips as opposed to buttons as she struggles to dress independently. In addition to this, Kathleen has had to employ a gardener due to the severe pain she experiences. She has also had to give up swimming and playing the piano, both of which are hobbies she enjoyed taking part in.
Her confidence at work has been affected and, due to the fact she feels socially isolated from her friends and family, she has become depressed, has put on weight, and has had to be signed off work in order to recover.
Due to the way Kathleen’s life has been affected, and the fact that no verbal, signed, or visible warning was given to her to confirm that the floor was wet, the Court ruled the NHS responsible. Kathleen was issued a sum of £50,000 in complex regional pain syndrome compensation – a sum which should help to improve her quality of life and ease some of the burdens she feels as someone who suffers from CRPS.
If you suffer from CRPS as a result of an accident or injury that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to compensation, just like Kathleen. If you suspect this may be the case, read up on how the CRPS law process works, get in touch with our expert team of lawyers by calling 0808 123 0003 or filling in our online contact form, and discuss your case in more detail.
Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue are often associated with toxic overload and therefore, finding ways to reduce the toxins in our bodies are crucial to good health. Dry Body Brushing is a great addition to your daily routine.
Many of us opt for a massage as this helps with our aches and pains. However, what the massage is actually doing is moving and draining lymphatic fluid, getting it to freely circulate around the body. Exercise also has the same effect. However, unless we are very lucky, daily massages are just not an option for most people and we may not be up for exercise every day. Dry Body Brushing is free, quick, and easy, taking just a few minutes every day.
Not only is the skin the largest organ of the body but it is really important for elimination and detoxification. The lymph is responsible for helping to remove toxins from the body and the skin accounts for the removal of about one-third of your body’s toxins.
Often when our body is toxic, this in most cases is reflected on our skin in varying degrees ranging from dry and lackluster to oily and acne. Whilst nutrients are delivered to other areas of the body first before the skin, it is the skin that is the first organ to show signs of dis-ease. Toxic overload can also leave us lacking in energy and suffering from digestive issues.
• Increasing circulation which in some cases has improved cellulite. • Sheds dry skin cells which encourage new cell renewal which ultimately results in brighter skin. • Releases toxins through the improvement of lymphatic drainage. • Stimulates the nerve endings which just feels great. • Helps to eliminate clogged pores and therefore assists absorption of nutrients. • Helps digestion. • Tone the muscles.
• For best results, use a natural bristle brush. • Always brush on dry skin before a shower. • Work in circular, brisk, upward motions always towards the heart and in the direction of the lymphatic flow. • Start at the ankles and work up. • On the back work from the neck, down towards the lower back. • Use circular counter clock-wise strokes on the stomach • Lightly brush over the breasts • Ensure that you never brush over inflamed, sunburnt skin or skin cancer. • Always shower after body brushing to wash away the sloughed-off skin cells. Follow up with a moisturizer.
Annet King, Director of Global Education for The International Dermal Institute says that “body brushing helps to remove stagnant toxins that break down connective tissue leading to the cellulite, however, ultimately there is no conclusive evidence but as a quick fix to plumping the skin, this may be one of the short-lived results of body brushing”.
As with adopting any new regime, it will take time to see results and it is recommended daily brushing for a minimum of 30 days to experience some changes. For a more thorough lymphatic cleansing, you should brush daily for 3 months to see the benefits.
Cases involving CRPS can be tricky, however, as experts, we can help you overcome difficulties you may face when claiming. Find out more here.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is an extremely painful condition that’s poorly understood by many. There are two types of CRPS, known as CRPS Type 1 and CRPS Type 2, both of which are notoriously difficult to diagnose due to the similarity in symptoms, which include sweating, discoloration to the skin, burning pain, and sensitivity to touch, pressure, and movement. If you are a CRPS sufferer who has developed the condition as a result of an accident, injury, or trauma that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim damages. When making a claim, however, you may face a number of difficulties; CRPS is extremely debilitating and can cause mobility and concentration difficulties, fatigue, and pain, which may make it arduous for sufferers to engage in the litigation process and partake in appointments they may need to attend. To find out more about the problems you could face and how we could help, continue reading.
Every complex regional pain syndrome sufferer knows all too well how poorly understood the condition is, which is why it’s so important to ensure your solicitor has a good understanding of CRPS and knows the ins and outs of the symptoms and consequences associated. Having a good knowledge of the condition won’t only enable your solicitor to produce a detailed and accurate report, but it will also allow them to understand when you’re having a bad day, whether it be due to pain, fatigue, or something else associated with the illness.
At Ronty Rhodes Solicitors, we specialize in CRPS compensation claims and have worked alongside many sufferers in the past, which has provided us with the knowledge we need to understand what our patients experience on a daily basis. With this knowledge and expertise combined, we are able to provide flexibility for our clients and can accommodate their individual needs to make them feel as comfortable as possible; for example, if a client feels more comfortable speaking over the phone, our specialist lawyers are always happy to pick up the phone. In addition to this, our clients can always feel safe in the knowledge that we have the ability to report accurately and correctly, which in turn will have a significant impact on the overall value of the claim.
Cases that involve CRPS are notoriously complex; the condition is extremely difficult to diagnose as there is no single test that can be carried out to give you a definitive yes or no answer. In order to receive a diagnosis and determine what has actually caused the CRPS, a variety of tests can be carried out, which can take some time. Before bringing a compensation claim for CRPS, a full diagnosis must be obtained. There must also be a causal link between the trauma you have sustained which was not your fault and the CRPS. At Brian Barr, we work on a day-to-day basis with a number of expert medical consultants, who not only prepare medical reports but treat patients with CRPS.
Although work has been carried out to improve the stigma attached to CRPS, a degree of stigma still remains. Unfortunately, this stigma often influences experts to suggest that sufferers are lying about their symptoms or observe a sufferer’s medical history to look at past psychological difficulties which may have made them vulnerable to the condition. At Chronicillness, we understand how frustrating this can be for patients and will act on a sufferer’s behalf to earn as much compensation as possible to improve the quality of life for those who have suffered the consequences of CRPS. When using our services, no patient will be dismissed, ignored, or doubted; our expertise lies in offering the very best support to every sufferer.
In order to give any CRPS sufferer the best chance of succeeding when making a CRPS insurance claim, it’s imperative that evidence is gathered right from the start. In order to gather as much evidence as possible, the following must take place:
All medical records must be reviewed in detail, so all aspects of the case are fully understood; The injured party must visit experts as soon as possible and they must also receive the right treatment/ rehabilitation to give them a good chance of managing their condition moving forwards; Any witness evidence should be prepared and detailed to allow others to fully understand the impact the condition has had on the sufferer in terms of day-to-day activities.
All in all, it’s important to remember that you employ a specialist to handle your personal injury claim; experts will have a clear understanding of your condition and, as a result, will have immediate access to suitable individuals who can offer expertise and assistance to you during your claim. These individuals can range from treatment providers, medical experts, and knowledgeable legal advisors who will make a positive impact on the result of your claim. With a team of law experts and a breadth of experience under our belts, we know which questions need to be asked and which investigations must be carried out in order to obtain the evidence you need to succeed in your claim.
It may be the case that you have a critical illness insurance policy that does not list CRPS as a particular illness under which the policy will pay out. However, due to the debilitating nature of the condition, it is sometimes possible to claim under the ‘Total and Permanent Disability’ criteria contained within a critical illness policy. Ronty Rhodes Solicitors can assist with this. If you have such a policy and suffer from CRPS and do believe that you satisfy the criteria under this policy, get in touch with us to discuss the details of your case by calling us for free on 0808 123 0003 or by filling in our online contact form.
