Sport & CRPS - A Recipe for Disaster?

Sport and CRPS could easily be a recipe for disaster but if you find the right sport it can be the complete opposite!

Finding the right sport is a long and difficult process. The main problem I came across when finding a sport is CRPS is not recognised.  CRPS does not qualify under the Paralympic classification rules, so finding a club that is able to meet your needs can be quite difficult. However if you do your research and send a few emails, eventually you should be able to find a sport that is near you that you can try.

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In September  last year I started researching different sports recommended by other CRPS sufferers,  these included, rowing, swimming, archery and wheelchair racing.  I was keen to try rowing as this was a close as I was going to get to my old sport of kayaking. After a few emails I got myself a disability rowing taster session at the Royal Docks near City Airport. This was very exciting for me as it was a chance to get on the water which I had enjoyed so much when kayaking. The taster session which was on land in the tank (a swimming pool with a fixed rowing boat)  went so well I went back for another one where I was able to go out in a boat on the water. By the end of this I had fallen in love with rowing! The following session I was introduced to the Royal Dolphins a small disability rowing group at the Royal Docks, this was perfect for me and since November last year I have been rowing weekly with the group. Not only does this mean I'm back out on the water I also now have a great group of friends. I'm still in pain and it still causes my pain to spike even after doing it nine months with adaptions.  I struggle to row for more than 5minutes in certain boats.  However I have found a boat called the Cutter where I don't have to use my legs at all which is perfect for me.

On the 9th of September I will be taking part in  The Great River Race  with the Royal Dolphins. This is a 21.6 mile race down the Thames from London Docklands to Ham in Surrey. We will be completing the race as a six man crew in the Cutter ( the boat where I don't have to use my legs). This is a great challenge for myself as I have only spent an hour at most in the Cutter and this race takes over 3 hours to complete! However I want to prove that being in chronic pain does not mean you can't do something.

One thing I have been working on is desensitising my leg to water. When my leg was at its worse last year I couldn't tolerate anything touching it. In January I started the process of desensitisation to touch, allowing me to have certain things touch my leg without causing too much pain. With a lot of hard work I managed to desensitise my leg enough to allow me to go swimming.  So in the last week I have started swimming twice a week, this is perfect for me as it is non weight baring. This means I can use and strengthen my leg without causing too much pain, unlike walking.  After not being able to swim for 4 years because of my leg, I was extremely happy to be back in the pool. What made it even better still is that I could get from A to  B in less pain than if I was going to walk the same distance.

I'm still in pain and have days where I cannot walk at all, but I have found two sports that I can do on a weekly basis. This has had a really positive impact on my life both physically and mentally. Physically sport has complimented the work I do with my physio and helped strengthen and desensitise my leg, meaning I can do that bit more on a daily basis.  Mentally I am a lot happier in myself and I have something to look forward to three times a week.

I hope this proves that CRPS and sport is not necessarily a recipe for disaster and that if you are a CRPS suffer reading this that you will give sport a chance!