Claire met Sinead in the clinic a few weeks ago. She had been living with severe pain and swelling in her left foot which developed after a simple muscle strain nine months ago. She also noted colour and temperature change in her foot and leg.

She was subsequently diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) back in Ireland and was struggling in every way with this.

We were fascinated to see significant change in Sinead’s pain and function over the course of 2 weeks using a cognitive functional approach (CFT). She was clearly worried about using her left leg, and therefore neglecting it. This emotive interview tells the story. She found that making sense of it all through an in depth first assessment, some behavioural movement experiments and a positive plan enabled her to move forward.

Claire asked Sinead if she wouldn’t mind giving us an interview about her journey. It’s a great insight into CRPS and the treatment of this debilitating condition (possibly interesting mostly to physio geeks, but hopefully others with experience of this condition too)! Let us know what you think, and thank you so much Sinead for giving permission to share your story.