What is rsd pain

The cause of RSD is not known. The condition is thought to be a malfunctioning of the sympathetic nervous system, but some researchers are questioning this. Since RSD most often follows trauma to the extremities, some conditions that can trigger RSD are sprains, fractures, surgery, damage to blood vessels or nerves and certain brain injuries. There is no single laboratory test to diagnose RSD.

Sometimes imaging studies x-rays, MRI or nerve conduction tests are useful, Diagnosis can be made by the healthcare provider when certain conditions are met, including the absence of any other diagnosis that better explains the signs and symptoms. Early diagnosis is thought to be important in preventing progression of the syndrome. Immune system involvement. The C-fiber nerve cells also communicate with immune cells to help us heal from injury.

Excess or prolonged nerve signaling can dysregulate immune cells in the affected limb, as does CRPS-associated poor circulation. Some people with CRPS have elevated local levels of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that contribute to the redness, swelling, and warmth in the CRPS-affected limb. CRPS is more common in individuals with other inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as asthma.

Some individuals with CRPS may have abnormal antibodies that promote an immune attack on small fibers. Rare family clusters of CRPS have been reported. Familial CRPS may be more severe with earlier onset, greater dystonia, and the involvement of more than one limb.

Since CRPS generally improves over time, diagnosis is easiest early in the disorder and should not be delayed. Rehabilitation and physical therapy. This is the single most important treatment for CRPS. Keeping the painful limb or body part moving improves blood flow and lessens circulatory symptoms, as well as maintains flexibility, strength, and function. Rehabilitating the affected limb helps prevent or reverse secondary spinal cord and brain changes associated with disuse and chronic pain.

Occupational therapy can help people learn new ways to become active and return to work and daily tasks. People with severe CRPS often develop secondary psychological problems including depression, situational anxiety, and sometimes post-traumatic stress disorder. These heighten pain perception, further reduce activity and brain function, and make it hard for patients to seek medical care and engage in rehabilitation and recovery.

Graded motor imagery. Individuals are taught mental exercises including how to identify left and right painful body parts while looking into a mirror and visualizing moving those painful body parts without actually moving them.

This is thought to provide non-painful sensory signals to the brain that helps reverse brain changes that are prolonging CRPS. Several classes of medication have been reported as effective for CRPS, particularly when given early in the disease. However, none are approved by the U. Drugs often used to treat CRPS include:. Spinal cord stimulation. Stimulating electrodes are threaded through a needle into the spine outside the spinal cord. They create tingling sensations in the painful area that helps block pain sensations and normalize signaling into the spinal cord and brain.

Electrodes can be placed temporarily for a few days to assess if stimulation is likely to be helpful. Minor surgery is required to implant the stimulator, battery, and electrodes under the skin on the torso. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy RSD is a nerve disorder that affects pain regulation. People with RSD feel excessive pain, usually in their limbs or extremities. They may also experience changes in body temperature, unusual sweating, a decreased range of motion, and other symptoms.

RSD, or CRPS 1, is a disorder that disturbs pain regulation in nerves within the central and sympathetic nervous systems. The central nervous system controls most functions of the brain and body. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for rapid, involuntary responses to pain or stress. CRPS 1 occurs in the absence of trauma to the affected nerves.

CRPS 2 occurs as a direct result of trauma. Doctors, therefore, can have difficulty distinguishing between them. The two most important features of CRPS 1 are allodynia and hyperalgesia. Allodynia involves feeling pain from stimuli that are not typically painful.

For example, a person with allodynia may experience pain from a light touch. Hyperalgesia involves increased sensitivity to painful stimuli. An excessive response to pain could indicate hyperalgesia to a doctor. People with CRPS 1 may also experience dysfunction of sweat glands and blood vessels. These issues could result in:. It has been shown that early diagnosis is generally the key to better outcomes.

Trust your body and continue to seek a diagnosis. Physicians diagnose it based on patient history, clinical examination, and laboratory results.