In our years representing personal injury victims, the Alabama accident attorneys at Martinson & Beason, P.C. have helped numerous clients with RSD/CRPS.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), is a chronic pain condition resulting from a malfunction in an individual’s nervous system. Experts remain unsure of the cause of CRPS; however, it seems likely that one type of CRPS, CRPS I, is often brought on by an injury. Though RSD/CPRS is often under-diagnosed, it is estimated that between one and three million people in the U.S. suffer from the condition.
If an individual is injured and suffers a crushing type of injury, it may trigger CRPS. This injury could be very minor or extremely serious; however, dysfunction in the nervous system causes extreme pain disproportionate to the injury. The pain continues and worsens, even after the original injury heals.
CRPS is most often felt in a person’s limbs, including the hands and feet. The symptoms of CRPS include burning pain, heightened sensitivity in the skin, and changes in the skin’s temperature, texture, and color. The skin may be a different temperature than the other limbs, shiny, and blotchy, purple, red, or pale. The limb’s joints may become swollen and stiff. An individual with CRPS may also become unable to move the limb. CRPS pain frequently spreads throughout the entire limb beyond the initial injury. Additionally, stress can worsen the pain.
CRPS is diagnosed during clinical observation by doctors. Diagnosis is complicated, as many other illnesses and injuries can cause symptoms similar to those of CRPS. There is no cure for CRPS, so treatment is ongoing. Accident victims living with CRPS undergo various treatments to manage and relieve their pain. These treatments include physical therapy to maintain the ability to move the limb, medication, stimulation of the spinal cord, intrathecal drug pumps (which direct pain medication into spinal fluid), nerve blocks, and even surgery to destroy affected nerves.
Those with CRPS may also seek psychotherapy to help them cope. As with other serious injuries resulting from accidents (such as Paralysis and Amputation), CRPS can result in anxiety and depression.
CRPS can gravely impact the lives of accident victims and their families. Even with pain management and other treatment, the condition is permanent. While some with CRPS may go into remission, others experience lasting pain and irreversible damage.1 The condition can make it very difficult for the person to go about their daily activities and perform their job, which may put their livelihood at risk.
If you or a family member have developed CRPS due to an injury sustained in a car accident or other accident, contact a Huntsville personal injury attorney today. We can help you get the compensation you need and deserve, to pay for your treatment and support your family. Click here to download our Special Report with the questions you must ask a personal injury attorney.
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1http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/detail_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.htm#198903282