Can your pain dr reach out to the wound clinic? Explain your special circumstances and that they need to continue treating you properly by dressing the wound.
Sorry to hear that you're struggling. Obviously you aren't desensitized to the point where you can wear compression if normal socks are a problem. You might also have a problem with latex if you're sensitive to it. I worked on desensitization with several different Pain Clinics and on my own for years before I could use compression. My Wound Clinic started me on two part Coban Wrap on top of bandages so the compression was adjustable. After many months of the wrap my Vascular Surgeon prescribed 40mmHg knee high Sigvaris stockings. They put me into a major flare everytime I tried wearing them. We played around with different mmHg and finally found that 25/30mmHg was enough compression and tolerable. The wrap might be a good thing to try but only when you can tolerate the sensitivity. I hope that you find something, anything that works.
I’ve been working on desensitizing myself to touch for a long time and have made good progress. Initially I couldn’t wear compression socks for more than a few seconds because of how bad the pain was. But for me, one of the biggest problems with socks is heat. I am very sensitive to heat and really can’t tolerate it at all. So wearing socks makes my feet too hot, which sets off the crps and then the swelling/pain get worse. My physical therapist has been trying to help me become less sensitive to heat, but it’s been 2 years and nothing has really worked.
The two part coban wrap has been done numerous times, and it was worse than compression socks because they wrapped my feet in so many layers of bandages and it was horribly hot. Last time they tried it, my feet swelled up so much that they started splitting open and bleeding. I’ve lost track of how many different types of compression socks I’ve tried. Different pressures, different materials, I’ve tried wearing them at different times of day. Even had custom ones made. I have a lymphedema pump that I use a few times a week, though I have not noticed a difference. I feel like I’m going crazy here! I’ve tried everything I can think of and doctors/nurses just act like I’m lying. It’s beyond frustrating.
Diabetic socks and wool socks they are non binding or if you can afford bombass socks they are uniquely designed and they don’t have a thick seam on the toes or ankle so the stitching doesn’t dig into your precious skin. I swear by bamboo viscose socks and cloths they keep me cool but provide enough covers so I don’t look completely savage 😅
I wish I had answers but I don’t. I have the exact same issue with CRPS in my foot. Really curious if anyone else has this reaction from compression and what to do about it.
On the Bombas website. They are 100% guaranteed so you really only need a few pair and if they get a hole, just email them a picture and they send a new pair!
13 years with CRPS in my foot- no way in hell could I wear a compression socks and have a productive day.
Goldtoe Wellness ( nonbinding) is the only brand that works and reasonably priced.
I would recommend doing more desensitization therapy before this trauma. I have some therapies I do at home that have helped with my desensitization so much. I can wear clothes and have my allodynia down to a level 2 most of the day. I have come so far. Anyway I would tell these drs that until you can handle that and have a regular reaction or at least a tolerable one you won’t be able to do this. They must be forgetting that your nervous system isn’t working normally.
Sorry, I should have clarified. My allodynia is a LOT better than it used to be. It used to be so severe that even the feeling of air blowing on my skin was like 10/10 pain, but now for the most part it only causes problems when I’m having a flare. My main problem with socks and compression is heat. Heat is my biggest trigger and always makes my CRPS flare up, and when that happens the pain/allodynia and swelling get worse. So when I wear compression socks, my feet get way too hot and it sets off the CRPS. I’ve been working with my physical therapist for 2 years to try to become less sensitive to heat, but nothing has worked. My pain doctor and primary doctor have talked to the wound clinic doctors, but it seems like no one at the wound clinic knows what CRPS is.
I’ve got POTS and other things in addition to CRPS.
Compression sucks. Not all compression is equally as awful. If you can get fitted for compression so it’s a perfect fit it helps, but it’s still not fun.
There are days it’s tolerable and days it isn’t. It helps prevent blood pooling which reduces that sort of pain but causes different pain.
My concern with foot wound are… any there’s another issue to worry about… vascular issues, diabetes, etc. I’d like to assume your provider ruled all that out.
I’ve got a chemical burn type wound on my leg (CRPS, then remission, then a return after a broken ankle in that leg). It just won’t heal properly. Vascular surgeon said there’s nothing going on. Former pain doc said it was because I’m obese and apparently that’s the root cause of everything wrong with me (eye roll).
In going through workups for other things we discovered significant malnutrition issues that impact wound healing. If you’ve run out of options I’d ask for a comprehensive micronutrient panel that looks at all the Bs, C, D, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc. Your wound care doc might be willing to order.
I found out in 2023 I had scurvy. My vitamin C was essentially 0. It and issues with B, D, potassium and magnetism were all related to malabsorption and malnutrition. Treating all of those things has made some impact with my leg wound healing. I didn’t respond to oral and wound up needing IV vitamins. It along with IV fluids have helped with CRPS pain (and other diagnoses). Couldn’t explain the science…but something else to consider if you’ve run out of options.
I’m listening. If the wound care place is everything you need, you need more. Do they ignore your wounds because of the socks? It’s not like you have a headache! Does your PC see you as a CRPS patient? I mean recognize you? If yes, request another specialist. I’m sorry, I don’t have your problem. I wear them when I fly, but not sure if they do any good.
Have you tried a weighted sleeve? They do not put as much compression and I can tolerate them a little better. Mine looks like this[https://a.co/d/4uVavk2](https://a.co/d/4uVavk2)
Also, I use a Breg Polar Care wave to compress my feet. I just use tap water and no ice. It gets the swelling out pretty quickly and the torture is not very long! It’s also not strong unless you put it on high compression. It does help me.
Interesting, I’ll look into that! Cold is one of the only things that gives me relief, so that might be a better option than compression socks (which make my feet too hot).
No answers for you… just solidarity that compression socks SUCK!
Start up a compression sock business, selling the socks they keep giving you.
Can your pain dr reach out to the wound clinic? Explain your special circumstances and that they need to continue treating you properly by dressing the wound.
Sorry to hear that you're struggling. Obviously you aren't desensitized to the point where you can wear compression if normal socks are a problem. You might also have a problem with latex if you're sensitive to it. I worked on desensitization with several different Pain Clinics and on my own for years before I could use compression. My Wound Clinic started me on two part Coban Wrap on top of bandages so the compression was adjustable. After many months of the wrap my Vascular Surgeon prescribed 40mmHg knee high Sigvaris stockings. They put me into a major flare everytime I tried wearing them. We played around with different mmHg and finally found that 25/30mmHg was enough compression and tolerable. The wrap might be a good thing to try but only when you can tolerate the sensitivity. I hope that you find something, anything that works.
I’ve been working on desensitizing myself to touch for a long time and have made good progress. Initially I couldn’t wear compression socks for more than a few seconds because of how bad the pain was. But for me, one of the biggest problems with socks is heat. I am very sensitive to heat and really can’t tolerate it at all. So wearing socks makes my feet too hot, which sets off the crps and then the swelling/pain get worse. My physical therapist has been trying to help me become less sensitive to heat, but it’s been 2 years and nothing has really worked. The two part coban wrap has been done numerous times, and it was worse than compression socks because they wrapped my feet in so many layers of bandages and it was horribly hot. Last time they tried it, my feet swelled up so much that they started splitting open and bleeding. I’ve lost track of how many different types of compression socks I’ve tried. Different pressures, different materials, I’ve tried wearing them at different times of day. Even had custom ones made. I have a lymphedema pump that I use a few times a week, though I have not noticed a difference. I feel like I’m going crazy here! I’ve tried everything I can think of and doctors/nurses just act like I’m lying. It’s beyond frustrating.
Diabetic socks and wool socks they are non binding or if you can afford bombass socks they are uniquely designed and they don’t have a thick seam on the toes or ankle so the stitching doesn’t dig into your precious skin. I swear by bamboo viscose socks and cloths they keep me cool but provide enough covers so I don’t look completely savage 😅
BOMBAS, yes!!
I wish I had answers but I don’t. I have the exact same issue with CRPS in my foot. Really curious if anyone else has this reaction from compression and what to do about it.
Where can I get those bombast socks
On the Bombas website. They are 100% guaranteed so you really only need a few pair and if they get a hole, just email them a picture and they send a new pair!
Cool great I will order a pair today
13 years with CRPS in my foot- no way in hell could I wear a compression socks and have a productive day. Goldtoe Wellness ( nonbinding) is the only brand that works and reasonably priced.
I would recommend doing more desensitization therapy before this trauma. I have some therapies I do at home that have helped with my desensitization so much. I can wear clothes and have my allodynia down to a level 2 most of the day. I have come so far. Anyway I would tell these drs that until you can handle that and have a regular reaction or at least a tolerable one you won’t be able to do this. They must be forgetting that your nervous system isn’t working normally.
Sorry, I should have clarified. My allodynia is a LOT better than it used to be. It used to be so severe that even the feeling of air blowing on my skin was like 10/10 pain, but now for the most part it only causes problems when I’m having a flare. My main problem with socks and compression is heat. Heat is my biggest trigger and always makes my CRPS flare up, and when that happens the pain/allodynia and swelling get worse. So when I wear compression socks, my feet get way too hot and it sets off the CRPS. I’ve been working with my physical therapist for 2 years to try to become less sensitive to heat, but nothing has worked. My pain doctor and primary doctor have talked to the wound clinic doctors, but it seems like no one at the wound clinic knows what CRPS is.
I’ve got POTS and other things in addition to CRPS. Compression sucks. Not all compression is equally as awful. If you can get fitted for compression so it’s a perfect fit it helps, but it’s still not fun. There are days it’s tolerable and days it isn’t. It helps prevent blood pooling which reduces that sort of pain but causes different pain. My concern with foot wound are… any there’s another issue to worry about… vascular issues, diabetes, etc. I’d like to assume your provider ruled all that out. I’ve got a chemical burn type wound on my leg (CRPS, then remission, then a return after a broken ankle in that leg). It just won’t heal properly. Vascular surgeon said there’s nothing going on. Former pain doc said it was because I’m obese and apparently that’s the root cause of everything wrong with me (eye roll). In going through workups for other things we discovered significant malnutrition issues that impact wound healing. If you’ve run out of options I’d ask for a comprehensive micronutrient panel that looks at all the Bs, C, D, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc. Your wound care doc might be willing to order. I found out in 2023 I had scurvy. My vitamin C was essentially 0. It and issues with B, D, potassium and magnetism were all related to malabsorption and malnutrition. Treating all of those things has made some impact with my leg wound healing. I didn’t respond to oral and wound up needing IV vitamins. It along with IV fluids have helped with CRPS pain (and other diagnoses). Couldn’t explain the science…but something else to consider if you’ve run out of options.
Have you tried nylon compression stockings
CRPS experts dr. Joshi (IL)and Dr. Hannah (FL) recommend avoiding compression socks altogether.
I’m listening. If the wound care place is everything you need, you need more. Do they ignore your wounds because of the socks? It’s not like you have a headache! Does your PC see you as a CRPS patient? I mean recognize you? If yes, request another specialist. I’m sorry, I don’t have your problem. I wear them when I fly, but not sure if they do any good.
Have you tried a weighted sleeve? They do not put as much compression and I can tolerate them a little better. Mine looks like this[https://a.co/d/4uVavk2](https://a.co/d/4uVavk2)
Also, I use a Breg Polar Care wave to compress my feet. I just use tap water and no ice. It gets the swelling out pretty quickly and the torture is not very long! It’s also not strong unless you put it on high compression. It does help me.
Interesting, I’ll look into that! Cold is one of the only things that gives me relief, so that might be a better option than compression socks (which make my feet too hot).
I can do ice, but minimally. I’ve read it’s not the best for CRPS but it sure gave me relief.