It’s been a while since I’ve had one of my weekly physical therapy sessions, because of the current COVID-19 situation here in Montreal. This area has long been the epicenter of the pandemic in Canada, a country encompassing almost 10 million square kilometres (or almost 3.9 million square miles, for my American friends).
Only essential services have been permitted to operate here since March 24, when it was confirmed that we were experiencing community spread of this virus. The government’s order included pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, some municipal services (e.g. garbage collection), and a few other sectors as ‘essential’.
Physical and occupational therapy clinics had to close overnight, often leaving patients with no access to care. This is a particularly difficult situation for patients living with chronic or persistent pain, who rely on physical therapy treatments as part of their on-going pain management programs.
A good example of this is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS):
Physical therapy is the cornerstone and first-line treatment for CRPS…
Rho, Brewer, Lamer, and Wilson: Mayo Clin Proc; 2002
A small percentage of patients develop refractory, chronic pain and require long-term multidisciplinary treatment, including physical therapy, psychological support, and pain-relieving measures.”(2)
Although some physiotherapy services can be provided online or via telehealth platforms, hands-on treatments all had to cease immediately. These unexpected closures left patients, in many instances, without any access to their treatment teams.
I’m lucky, in that my physical therapist and I text each other outside of working hours; not for treatment issues, but to share more general information about chronic pain management. As a Patient Partner for several initiatives involving CRPS, chronic pain, and rare diseases, I often have access to interesting information – breaking news in this field – which I can share with him.
Research results and other guidance documents, which could help him treat other patients, to better help them to help themselves ‘-) As you may have guessed, given my example, my own rare disease is CRPS, which is considered to be both autoimmune and neuro-inflammatory in nature.
Because of the autoimmune component, I’d likely be at higher risk of complications if I were to become ill with COVID-19. For this reason, my physical therapist and I agreed to temporarily halt our treatment sessions prior to the government’s shutdown order; my last treatment with him was on March 16.
Not long after that, I ordered a new addition for my home collection of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) equipment and therapeutic tools.
What did I order this time? A paraffin wax hand bath. No, it’s not to give myself pedicures! This nasty disease not only causes horrific neuropathic pain, it also impacts the joints of any affected areas. In my case, it’s the right hand and lower arm that have been afflicted with CRPS. And yes, of course, I’m right-handed!
There was a paraffin wax hand bath at the physiotherapy clinic, purchased at the urging of my therapist, and the hot wax treatment would temporarily ease the pain in my finger and wrist joints after my treatments.
My specialized physical therapy for CPRS is manipulation and mobilization therapy, in which the CRPS-affected joints are pulled, twisted, and stretched by the therapist. That really is as painful as it sounds!
Following each of these treatments at the clinic, I’d dip my hand repeatedly into the melted wax to create thin layers that would almost instantly harden. After six or seven dips into this very hot paraffin wax, we’d slip my hand and arm into a large plastic tube (a specific type of plastic bag) and then wrap it in a soft towel to retain the heat.
If you have arthritis in your hands, this might be a good idea for you; check with your physician or physical therapist first, because the wax can become very hot in these units. The one I ordered isn’t the same make as the one at the clinic, so I don’t know whether it will be anywhere near as useful.
Mine arrived today, so I’ll let you know if a few weeks how it compares to the paraffin wax hand bath I’ve used at a physical therapy clinic. In the meantime, I wish you good health, good luck, and good mental health!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by the blog. If you have any comments or questions, please reach out via Instagram or Twitter; there are no comments possible on this blog site. Stay safe!
References
(1) Montpetit J, and Harris C. Quebec halts everything but essential services as community transmission of COVID-19 detected. CBC News. 23 Mar 2020. Accessed 10 May 2020:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/covid-19-coronavirus-montreal-march-23-1.5506434
(2) Rho RH, Brewer RP, Lamer TJ, Wilson PR. Complex regional pain syndrome. Mayo Clin Proc. 2002;77(2):174-180. doi:10.4065/77.2.174. 22 Feb 2002. Accessed 10 May 2020:
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)62332-X/fulltext