Three weeks later, I hobbled into my first physical therapy session on crutches, very fearful, timid, and in pain. My physical therapist, Sherri Antonucci, explained the "quota-based" progressive exercise program that had been devised especially for RSD patients. First, she and I established my "baseline ability" to perform a large series of various stretches and strengthening exercises for the lower extremities. This meant that I did as many repetitions of each exercise as I could. On that first day, I could perform between zero and five repetitions, depending on the exercise. Every day I was to add one repetition for each exercise. After I could do 30 repetitions of an exercise (which took about one month), we would add some resistance, start at five repetitions and repeat the process. This one-repetition progression per day occurred whether or not I was in extreme pain. Quota-based aerobic exercise was also one of the daily requirements.

In addition to the quota exercises, physical therapy included a gait-retraining program in which I gradually learned how to walk again, first without crutches and then without a limp. My brain literally had forgotten how to direct my body to walk without a limp. Occasionally, therapy would include a deep-tissue calf massage or passive stretching that Sherri would perform on my leg, but this was rare. Most of the PT sessions were painful and frightening, because I never knew what sort of new activity she might decide to add. And, there was always a fear that I would be asked to perform an exercise or activity that would exacerbate the condition.