RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) disease is a chronic neurological condition that affects the skin and musculoskeletal system of the body. It is also referred to as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Onset of RSD disease usually follows damage or injury to a limb, i.e., a sprained or broken ankle and has been associated with other trauma to the body such as major surgery. However, in some cases, no triggering event is identified to explain the onset of the disease. While it is most common in people forty years of age or older, RSD disease can develop at any age, and is affected by both men and women equally.
Common symptoms of RSD disease include swelling, a burning pain that may spread to other limbs of the body, excessive sweating, and tenderness to touch. Symptoms may temporarily diminish for a period of time then reappear with the onset of another injury. A diagnosis of RSD disease is achieved by a combination of physical and neurological examinations with an emphasis on ruling out other conditions that may mimic similar symptoms. In the process of the neurological examination, the physician will ascertain which classification of RSD disease is present; Type 1, where no nerve injury appears to be present, or Type 2, where nerve injury has been detected.
There is currently no cure for RSD disease, but the condition is manageable by treatment options with an emphasis on pain control and therapy to maintain mobility to the affected limb. Because there are different types of pain associated with RSD disease, pain management is achieved through medication targeted at a specific type; for example, pain resulting from inflammation may be treated using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), while a chronic pain that does not respond to other medications may be treated by the use of morphine or another controlled substance. Muscle stiffness associated with RSD disease is treated with a use of prescription of muscle relaxants and physical therapy for patients of RSD disease may also be prescribed to maintain range of motion (ROM) to the affected body part. A physician may also recommend counseling, or direct the patent to a support group focused on patients with RSD disease as a coping mechanism to deal with anxiety and depression that may result from the diagnosis of the condition.
With early detection and treatment the prognosis for patients with RSD disease is good, and in the absence of a cure, the key to successful treatment of RSD disease relies on a good doctor-patient communication to achieve the best therapeutic results possible.
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