Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is a progressive disease of the autonomic nervous system that is caused by an injury, even a minor one. It involves the nerves, skin, muscles, blood vessels and bones near the site of injury. Instead of healing normally, the injury site experiences worsening pain, burning sensations, swelling, discoloration and muscle spasms. RSD has the highest rating on the McGill Pain Index and can spread throughout the body. Symptoms also include insomnia, emotional disturbances and depression from the constant, chronic pain. While there is no cure, the best treatment involves keeping pain levels under control through the use of opiates and staying as active as possible.

1. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, what is
it?

2. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy aka RSD is a
disease caused by an injury (unusually minor)
or surgery done due to an injury. Everyone has
a Reflex nerve. What occurs is when you are
injured your Reflex Nerve does not shut off.
When someone gets hurt they feel pain, than
some burning as the healing process starts
the pain goes away as well as the burning.
With RSD it's a progressive disease of the
Autonomic Nervous System. It involves the
nerves, skin, muscles, blood vessels (causing
constriction and pain) as well as bones. When
the injury occurs instead of the symptoms
going away the pain gets worst.

3. The burning sensation within the injury site is so bad you
feel like your on fire underneath the skin. The way to
explain the burning is if you have a cut and gasoline gets in
it, multiple by 10 dealing with this 7/24. Other RSDers
describe the burning as a red hot poker being inserted into
the effect site. The sympathetic nerve does not shut off.
RSD spreads as well in 75 % of people that have it. Many
people with RSD develop full body RSD. This means when I
hit my R. tibia within a month RSD spread to my left leg.
There is no cure for this disease. On the McGill Pain
Index, Arthritis is 18, a fracture is 19, Cancer pain is
26, Chronic pain is rated at 27, and RSD is rated at 42. It
has the highest rating for pain. Anyone can get RSD. At the
time I was DX with it there were 7,000,000 report cases in
the US alone. This number has increase in the year 2000 to
over 12,000,000 people in the US. Put this number together
with other countries and we are talking over 50,000,000
with RSD.

4. Symptoms of RSD are: Constant chronic burning pain, present 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, Inflammation in the form of Edema (I
have Edema +2), discoloration of the skin called mottling. (When I
first got injured the site was purple within a few weeks I had purple
and pink mottling on both legs), you bruise extremely easy and
rashes appear. I also get what they call RSD lesions. Spasms in
blood vessels and muscles of the extremities. I call the spasms
Grippers. When they occur it feels like your muscles are crushing
your bones. My doctor also writes down Grippers. They cannot be
rubbed out or touched at the time they occur. I have found Zanaflex
or Klonpin helps with the Grippers extremely well. Due to the pain
being so bad the air touching your skin hurts. I could not lay down
on sheets. I have not worn pants since 1994. I go to doctors in zero
degree weather with shorts on. With all the pain comes Insomnia,
Emotional Disturbance and of course depression.

5. Anyone can get RSD it seems to strike women more
than men, but each day I am meeting more men with
RSD. The age group is 3 years of age to 103. What is
important about all the above is if you have any of
these symptoms it's important to realize you are not
crazy, nor are you losing your mind. There is more
awareness of RSD today than there has been in years.
There are many doctors that treat RSD. The best
treatment is with opiates. It's very important to keep
the pain under control. It's very important to stay
active as possible. Without pain meds. there is no way
of functioning. When you have RSD light bothers you,
sound bothers you, clothing, sheets, a breeze, loud
noises or even vibrations can cause an extreme
amount of increased pain to a RSDer.

6. Many RSDers were very active before being afflicted
with this disease. Extremely hard workers, always on
the go. I have RSD in both legs and upper body as
well. When you touch the skin it's ice cold, yet when
tested for pulse rates <knock on wood> all was
normal. No one believes you in the beginning and you
find out that you must listen to your own body and
take what ever will help you.
http://www.workerscompensationins
urance.com/articles/rsd_rebel.htm

7. POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G.
GARCIA
Some of our clients have suffered
injuries that require a Pain
Management Doctor due to a
serious accident. The Garcia Law
Firm, P.C. was able to successfully
handle these types of cases. For a
free consultation please call us at
1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.