Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (CRPS Type 1): Stories of Managing Pain

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), also known as complex regional pain syndrome type 1, can be immensely difficult to tolerate. Because the pain caused by the condition does not have a treatable root, those suffering RSD must deal with chronic and intense pain. This can seem like an impossible and torturous way to live life–and thus, it is incredibly important for those suffering from RSD to develop ways to manage their pain. Throughout the year, we have discussed several different activities with which sufferers of RSD have come up to help cope, including going to support groups and creating awareness walks. Now, with the disease gaining more awareness, stories of those afflicted with the disease and how they have managed to cope with their pain have become more widespread.

For instance, the Chicago Daily Herald very recently published a story about a fourteen-year-old girl who has dealt with RSD for the last four years of her life. She has written a song called “Kryptonite” and posted it online to help deal with the pain in a therapeutic manner. Physically, she has also improved due to a three-week visit to a pain management clinic, in which she said she would “take things like towels and brushes, and . . . go over (the pain area) until [she could] handle it.” Prior to her stay at the clinic, she could not even bear to wear shoes; now, she can run for several minutes on a treadmill, showing vast improvement.
Another story comes out of Ithaca, New York, where a mother of two was forced to amputate her leg to minimize the pain, as she was allergic to the painkillers traditionally used to help RSD patients cope. Finding a prosthetic was difficult, as RSD patients must have specially designed prosthetic limbs so as not to further aggravate their condition. The community rallied around the mother to raise $1,000 in support of her medical costs.
Finally, another woman in southern Maryland who discovered she had the disease eight years ago after a car accident explained to SoMD News that she eventually recovered from the severe injuries sustained in the car accident, but that her pain appeared to get worse and worse, especially in her right arm. She has found the pain much more manageable since having a neuro-stimulator device installed at the base of her neck to regulate nerve impulses, as well as wearing a special sleeve over her arm that helps to regulate its temperature.
These are all very different methods of dealing with the chronic pain associated with RSD, varying in extremity–but each has helped the respective patients who have used them.
If you or a loved one suffers from RSD/CRPS as the result of someone else’s negligence, call us for help. We will talk to you and review your case for free. The Tyrone Law Firm specializes in representing those who have suffered a devastating injury, such as traumatic brain injury resulting from the negligence of another. Our personal injury firm here in Atlanta has a very successful record of trying such cases.
Nelson Tyrone handles Brain Injury, Spine Injury and RSD/CRPS cases throughout the United States. He involves only the top medical, rehabilitation and life-care plan experts in the field. His results on behalf of clients include several of the largest settlements and verdicts on record.
You can reach us at 404-377-0017 or via email at admin@tyronelaw.com. If we can’t help you, we will do our best to put you into the hands of lawyers who can.
Additional Resources

• “Algonquin Teen Sings–Positively–About Her Chronic Pain,” Elena Ferrarin, Chicago Daily Herald, Dec. 2, 2014
• “Battling a Rare Condition,” Jesse Yeatman, Southern Maryland News Online, Nov. 7, 2014
• “Rupe Benefit Passes Goal,” Chris Hooker, Ithaca.Com, Dec. 6, 2014