plus think about this--
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT...
~~HAVING AN ENDLESS FEELING OF A "FIRE-POKER" BEING POKED
AND
CONTINUOUSLY TWISTED INTO YOUR SKIN~~
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome = CRPS
aka Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy = RSD
is
a chronic progressive, neurological pain syndrome;
that never goes
away,
can spread to other areas and in some people becomes systemic.
It
is misunderstood in the medical community,
some family members don't
understand it
and some patients are in complete denial but it is REAL!
This
syndrome affects the nerves, muscles, bone, skin and thermo-regulatory
system.
With it comes symptoms such as constant:
"fire poker" type
burning pain;
sharp, stabbing, shooting, throbbing and/or constant pain;
temperature changes in the areas affected;
muscle wasting;
bone and
skin changes including color changes;
tissue swelling;
excessive
sweating or no sweating;
limited range of motion;
extreme sensitivity
to touch;
and lack of or no sleep.
One may have all these symptoms, a
few of these symptoms or one or two of these symptoms.
Studies and some doctors are now stating that there are two types of CRPS--
- Type
I, develops after a rather simple /minor injury, fall, fracture,
surgery or unknown reason and is still referred by some as RSD.
- Type II, develops after a nerve or tissue injury and is referred by some as Causalgia.
Facts regarding CRPS--
- CRPS
is a malfunction of part of the nervous system. Nerves misfire, sending
constant pain signals to the brain. It develops in response to an event
the body regards as traumatic, such as an accident or a medical
procedure. This syndrome may follow 5% of all nerve injuries.
- Complex
Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy (RSD), is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by severe and
relentless pain that affects between 200,000 and 1.2 million Americans.
- Minor
injuries, such as a sprain or a fall are frequent causes of CRPS. One
characteristic of CRPS is that the pain is more severe than expected
for the type of injury that occurred.
- Early
and accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment are key to recovery,
yet many health care professionals and consumers are unaware of its
signs and symptoms. Typically, people with CRPS report seeing an
average of five physicians before being accurately diagnosed.
- CRPS is two to three times more frequent in females than males.
- Treatments
include medication, physical therapy, psychological support,
sympathetic nerve blocks, and or spinal cord stimulation.
- This
is not a psychological syndrome, but people may develop psychological
problems when physicians, family, friends, and co-workers do not
believe their complaints of pain.
- The
mean age at diagnosis is 42 years. However, we are seeing more injuries
among young girls, and children as young as 3 years old can get CRPS.
For more information on CRPS/RSD, visit RSDSA.org
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