Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Get the facts on Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy treatment, diagnosis, staging, causes, types, symptoms. Information and current news about clinical trials and trial-related data, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy prevention, screening, research, statistics and other Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy related topics. We answer all your qestions about Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

Question: Any help in the relief of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy? I had tendon surgery 6yrs ago July, and I am still on crutches! Was told my nerves didn't wake up after the nerve block, diagnosed with Reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Already have an implanted battery for the pain, UMM NOT WORKING! Meds make me sick. Any natural cures for some relief out there?

Answer: cannabis sativa works well

Question: What is reflex sympathetic dystrophy? What is reflex sympathetic dystrophy?

Answer: RSD is actually now known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), because the role of the sympathetic nervous system appears to be less important than was once thought. It is usually the result of some sort of trauma, be it injury or surgery, minor or severe. The current theories out there seem to suggest that it is partly due to a process called 'central sensitisation' and 'wind up'. It's very difficult to try to explain, but in 'simple' terms - pain signals to the central nervous system (CNS) sensitise certain nerves and receptors to those signals ('wind up'). The line of thought with CRPS is that the CNS becomes more and more sensitised to those signals, setting up a vicious cycle of abnormal pain signals ('central sensitisation'). The role of the sympathetic nervous system, while still recognised, is now thought to be less important than it once was. Some people do experience 'sympathetically maintained pain' (SMP - which is responsive to treatments such as sympathetic nerve blocks), but in others it is classed at 'sympathetically independent pain' (SIP - more common in longer-standing CRPS cases). Many of the visible changes associated with CRPS do appear to be autonomic in origin. In practical terms, it is a chronic neuropathic pain disorder. It causes severe, unremitting pain and trophic changes (skin, hair and nail growth) as well as oedema and colour & temperature fluctuations. In some cases there can be other complications, such as muscle dystonia, ulceration, etc. The treatments are pretty varied, but include sympathetic nerve blocks, antidepressants & anticonvulsants (both of which have activity against neuropathic pain), other drugs, physiotherapy (VERY important!), ketamine infusions, spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal medication, and the list goes on. I've had CRPS for 9 1/2 years. Have been through all of the above treatments and am now in a wheelchair due to severe involvement of both my legs.

Question: Is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome a disease or disability?

Answer: I would classify RSD as a syndrome that in some cases causes disability. A syndrome is defined as a set of symptoms (what the patient reports feeling) and signs (what the doctor can notice). Many people also call it a disease, and I tend to agree with that. The only problem terming it as such is that nobody yet knows what the exact pathophysiology of the condition is. Dictionary.com defines disease: "1. a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment." We know that, for some reason, the nervous system is "disordered" or "incorrectly functioning" in RSD/CRPS. What we don't yet know is exactly why. Someday, it may even turn out that RSD has different causes in different people. This makes sense, given responses of some people and not others to certain treatments. Example: The classical explanation for RSD is that it is a malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system (hence the name). Some patients respond wonderfully to sympathetic nerve blocks (injections that numb the sympathetic nerve chain in a certain area of the body). Others don't respond to sympathetic blocks at all, yet still have all of the symptoms of RSD. It's possible that the same symptoms are caused by different malfunctions in the body. Right now, nobody really knows! Although the symptoms of RSD/CRPS may be very debilitating and disabling, many people recover with treatment, especially if treatment is started quickly after onset of RSD. Others who aren't so lucky may become disabled, some severely so. I've had RSD for over 12 years, and I don't consider myself "disabled" per se. There are some things I can't do, like go mountain climbing or run a marathon. But I do basically everything that most other people do.

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