You are invited to join us at:

RSD(S)-CRPS Advisory Info and Support Group on Facebook

http://www.Facebook.com/groups/RSDCRPSAdvisory.InfoSupport

RSD(S)-CRPS Advisory is a information, guidance and support group related to Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy aka Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Causalgia/Neuro Inflammatory Disease (NID).

We also support those with other Chronic Pain related illnesses, neuropathies and disorders.

My Group Supports and Promotes:
The Power of Pain Foundation, Exec. Director Barby Ingle powerofpain.org and Chris Greulich patientawareness.org
The Living with Hope Radio Show with Host Trudy Thomas www.blogtalkradio.com/thebodymindandspiritnetwork

“It continues to be my passion and purpose to promote awareness and offer support to others like me, to their families and friends so that they too might learn about this painful and complex, often progressive and debilitating neurological pain disorder which affects the sympathetic nervous system commonly known as the “fight or flight”. ~ Twinkle V.

Disclaimer: The information contained in the RSD CRPS Info & Support Group is meant to be accurate yet is not intended to replace official sources. Information contained herein should not be considered error-free and should not be used as the exclusive basis for decision-making. Use of our Websites and Group information is strictly voluntary and at the user’s sole risk. Other resources linked from these pages are maintained by independent providers. We do not monitor all linked resources and cannot guarantee their accuracy. We’re a community of patients, family or friends of. We’re not doctors, specialists, or lawyers.

Symptoms of CRPS usually occur near the site of an injury, either major or minor, and will usually spread beyond the original area. It may spread to involve the entire limb and, rarely, the opposite limb. The most common symptom is burning pain. The patient may also experience muscle spasms, local swelling, increased sweating, softening of bones, joint tenderness or stiffness, restricted or painful movement, and changes in the nails and skin. The pain of CRPS is continuous and may be heightened by emotional stress. Moving or touching the limb is often intolerable. Eventually the joints become stiff from disuse, and the skin, muscles, and bone atrophy. The symptoms of CRPS vary in severity and duration. There are three variants of CRPS, previously thought of as stages. It is now believed that patients with CRPS do not progress through these stages sequentially and/or that these stages are not time limited. Instead, patients are likely to have one of the three following types of disease progression:

Type one is characterized by severe, burning pain at the site of the injury. Muscle spasm, joint stiffness, restricted mobility, rapid hair and nail growth, and vasospasm (a constriction of the blood vessels) that affects color and temperature of the skin can also occur.

Type two is characterized by more intense pain. Swelling spreads, hair growth diminishes, nails become cracked, brittle, grooved, and spotty, osteoporosis becomes severe and diffuse, joints thicken, and muscles atrophy.

Type three is characterized by irreversible changes in the skin and bones, while the pain becomes unyielding and may involve the entire limb. There is marked muscle atrophy, severely limited mobility of the affected area, and flexor tendon contractions (contractions of the muscles and tendons that flex the joints). Occasionally the limb is displaced from its normal position, and marked bone softening is more dispersed. There is still no cure to date!

No specific test is available for CRPS, which is diagnosed primarily through observation of the symptoms. However, thermography, sweat testing, x-rays, electrodiagnostics, and sympathetic blocks can be used to build up a picture of the disorder. Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that some patients improve without treatment. A delay in diagnosis and/or treatment for this syndrome can result in severe physical and psychological problems. Early recognition and prompt treatment provide the greatest opportunity for recovery. RSD/CRPS is now being referred to as Neuro Inflammatory Disease.

Twinkle VanFleet, California Ambassador at the Power of Pain Foundation CAAmbassador@powerofpain.org (projects, events, POPF related only) or www.CRPSAdvisory.com twinkle@crpsadvisory.com

Active Group Leader’s

Twinkle VanFleet (Myself)

Trudy Thomas

Saskia Hubelmeijer

Sara Willy