After years of living with constant pain, Rebecca has found new hope and a place that keeps her moving forward.
Nine years ago, Rebecca noticed swelling in her hands. The pain became severe, leading to stiffness and limited movement. Initially, the doctors did not know what Rebacca had, but it was soon diagnosed as ‘Complex Regional Pain Syndrome’.
The condition causes the brain to send signals of severe pain to a limb, even though the limb itself is physically fine. Sometimes, even the lightest touch on the skin can feel unbearable.
Everyday life is a constant battle for Rebecca. She wears special socks because her feet go from being extremely hot to freezing cold. Even simple tasks like taking a shower or having a bath can cause her skin to hurt.
The lively and varied social activities at Paul’s Place can help distract Rebecca from her everyday pain. But as the pain is with her 24/7, Rebecca often feels exhausted by the time she returns home.
She loves making and selling pillows created from the different donated fabrics. However, her severe pain on the left side of her body makes it difficult to sew. She has a splint supporting her arm, which prevents making the pillows she once could.
Rebecca is looking forward to her stay at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. She will benefit from its hydrotherapy pool and physiotherapy sessions. She will also receive brain training exercises, where she will put her affected hand and then her non-affected hand in shallow water.
Before moving into the Hub, we travelled for physiotherapy and sport sessions elsewhere, when the funding allowed. Since having our own gym and physiotherapy room Rebecca has the dedicated space she needs to continue her rehabilitation and stay active every day.
She says, “This will help me to keep improving after I leave hospital. Despite the pain, moving helps to get my limbs working so I can sew, hold things, get up, and even swim. I can get my body working again to become more independent and in control.”
For Bones and Joints Week, we wanted to show why having our own gym and physio room is so vital for the people we support through Rebecca’s Story. Our gym has specialised THERA-Trainer equipment with screens and adaptable tools. They keeps our members active and we have equipment that enables wheelchair users to stand, giving them a real sense of joy. By working our joints, bones and muscles regularly, we can benefit from the health, wellbeing and independence it can give us.
To support growing our gym and physiotherapy room with the equipment it needs, please consider regularly donating at: Donate NOW – Paul’s Place