In this post, we revisit the matter of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), a medical condition that causes severe, chronic physical pain in its victims through nerve damage. Because RSD is currently a rare and as-of-yet poorly understood disease, those afflicted with it can feel hopeless at the lack of a variety of treatments available for it. However, one very common method that pain physicians find useful in treating RSD to help manage the pain are injections of anesthesia into the nerves, called “sympathetic nerve blocks.”
Sympathetic nerve blocks are “believed by many pain physicians to be an effective method for controlling chronic pain,” despite the lack f a great deal of medical evidence supporting this belief, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The blocks are created by injecting the area where the sympathetic nerves come together outside the spine area, called “ganglions,” with anesthetic solution. Depending on the area creating the most pain, patients may receive an injection in the stellate ganglion in the neck area, which affects the upper portion of the body and includes the arm and the hand, or in the lower spine, which affects the lower portion of the body.
Sympathetic nerve blocks are not only used to aid those with RSD/CRPS, but also for a variety of other conditions involving chronic pain, such as frostbite, and for excessive sweating, as the nerve centers also control how much we sweat.
Johns Hopkins Medicine calls the nerve block a “relatively safe procedure” that only entails a day of rest after the procedure, consisting possibly of temporary soreness, a sense of warmth, or some weakness. Additionally, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand has noted that therapy does not consist of the injection by itself–rather, “[b]y relieving pain, blocks can enable more effective therapy.”
If you or a loved one has 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.
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Hayley serves as a Labor and Delivery Nurse Consultant for the Tyrone Law Firm. She attended and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Georgia in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations. After graduation she moved to the gulf coast where she pursued a career in real estate and development.
