Sometimes pain after an injury is worse than the injury itself. Reflex
Sympathetic Dystrophy or the more descriptive, Complex Regional Pain
Syndrome, is a painful disorder that can occur after almost any injury
from a sprained ankle to a broken arm or even surgery. Repetitive
motions are also a common cause of RSD or CRPS.
Although the problem occurs in men and young people, 75% of all patients
are women from ages 40-60. The pain syndrome isn’t a new discovery.
It was first documented during the Civil War.
RSD/CRPS is a chronic condition characterized by severe burning pain,
pathological changes in bone and skin, tissue swelling, and extreme
sensitivity to touch. It is a nerve disorder that occurs at the site
of an injury, but most often to the arms or legs. The pain that patients
describe is out of proportion to the severity of the injury and gets
worse, rather than better, over time. Depression, anxiety and difficulties
with daily activities arise when the condition goes untreated.
Good progress can be made in treating RSD/CRPS if treatment is begun
early, ideally within three months of the first symptoms. Early diagnosis
and treatment often results in remission. However, if treatment is
delayed, the disorder can spread to the entire limb or other limbs,
and changes in bone and muscle may become irreversible.
The diagnosis can be challenging since there is no specific test,
and symptoms don’t always appear immediately following a trauma.
Elevated temperature, skin color change, increased sweating and swelling
in the affected extremity often indicate a diagnosis of RSD/CRPS.
Unfortunately, many patients report having seen ten or more doctors
before an accurate diagnosis was made.
Physicians use a variety of treatments for the condition, including
the immediate use of pain medication, antidepressants and nerve blocks.
Nerve blocks work by numbing the pain pathway from the site of injury.
When started in the early stages, nerve blocks can eliminate the problem.
Normal daily activities may be resumed without pain.
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