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; and
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 and/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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