Blisstree » CRPS

Patient information sheet on CRPS (RSD)

Marijke Durning, RN — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:12:13 +0000

People with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), what used to be called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RDS) can find it hard to explain to people what it is. That is, if they understand it themselves.

The National Osteoporosis Society in the United Kingdom has made available this leaflet that explains
what the condition is, why it has differing names, how it is diagnosed
and how it may be treated. It also refers to a number of patient
organisations and useful websites.

The document is in PDF format: Patient information leaflet.

~~~

Post from: Blisstree

Patient information sheet on CRPS (RSD)

ABCs of pain: R is for…

Marijke Durning, RN — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:32:00 +0000

R is for…

rubber duckie!

And R is also for:

Radiating pain: If you tell your doctor or nurse about the pain you are having, you’ll likely be asked if the pain is radiating. This means, does the pain go beyond the original spot. For example, if you have pain in your stomach area, does it radiate to the back or up into the chest?

Repetitive stress injury: These days, when we hear repetitive stress injury, or RSI, most people automatically think of carpal tunnel syndrome. However, RSIs are injuries that can happen anywhere on the body and are caused by doing the same motion again and again over a long period of time. This could be tennis elbow, back pain, neck pain, and so on.

Rebound pain: Sometimes, when people are living with chronic pain, they take more pain medications than they should. They feel better so they continue to do so. However, when their pain – often headaches – they just take more medication. But, what they may be feeling is called rebound pain. It’s the body’s reaction to the wearing off of the pain reliever.

Range of motion: As you move your arm or leg around, or your foot or hand, if you don’t have any pain or problems, you likely have a full range of motion. That means your joint is allowing you to move about as it should and as you want it. If you have problems with a joint, this range of motion may be limited. This limitation can tell your doctor or physiotherapist a lot about how well or how badly your joint is doing with treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis: A very common type of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflammation in the joints. The joints become thick, red, and painful. The joints can also become quite deformed as a result of the inflammation and pain.

Here are a few sites that can tell you more about RA:

Radiculopathy: The term radiculopathy refers to a disease of the spinal nerve roots and spinal nerves. It results in pain going from the spine and radiating outwards.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD): This is the old name of what is now called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

Image: Newscom

~~~~

Post from: Blisstree

ABCs of pain: R is for…

ABCs of pain: C is for….

Marijke Durning, RN — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:28:02 +0000

Yup, C is for car, but it’s also for:

Central pain syndrome: According to NINDS, “Central pain syndrome is a neurological condition caused by damage to or dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. This syndrome can be caused by stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors, epilepsy, brain or spinal cord trauma, or Parkinson’s disease.”

Cancer: It’s at the point that many physicians are pushing to have cancer categorized as a chronic disease since so many people are living with it for longer periods or are beating it altogether. Whether it is ever classified as a chronic illness, cancer pain can be quite severe.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: CTS is a repetitive stress injury that is much more common than it used to be. The blame is often put on computer use, but it can happen to people who decorate cakes or who use jackhammers. This can result in chronic pain if not taken care of.

Cluster headache: Cluster headaches are actually considered to be worse than migraines. They are felt on one side of the head only and occur on the same side of the head, every day at the same time, for a period of up to several weeks before going away. Unlike migraines, which affect more women than men, more men than women get cluster headaches.

Complex regional pain syndrome: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a little understood but devastating syndrome that results from what may be a small injury. It used to be called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Here are some web sites for you:

Computed tomography: Computed tomography or CAT scan is an advanced type of radiology (x-ray) test. This specialized x-ray views the body tissues from different angles that are then put together with a computer.

~~~~~

Post from: Blisstree

ABCs of pain: C is for….

4 helpful brochures and hand outs about CRPS

Marijke Durning, RN — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:20:49 +0000

If you have a chronic illness or are living with chronic pain, chances are you get a little tired of trying to explain your situation all the time. The Reflex Dystrophy Syndrome Association has made available some very interesting and helpful brochures, cards, and hand outs that people can use to help spread the word about complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as reflex dystrophy syndrome (RDS):

~~~~~~~

Post from: Blisstree

4 helpful brochures and hand outs about CRPS

Radio interview about CRPS/RSD

Marijke Durning, RN — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:54:23 +0000

Whether you call it reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome, the result it the same: excruciating, unknown pain that can wear you right down.

While there is no cure for CRPS, researchers are working on it. Here is an interesting audio for you to listen to. It is a radio interview of Anne Louise Oaklander, MD, PhD, director of the Nerve Injury Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, done in April 2006. Click on the radio image below to listen.

You can also read more about CRPS/RSD in this article:

Company’s calling: For Grace’s founder, Cynthia Toussaint speaks out

Image: Newscom

~~~~~~~~

Post from: Blisstree

Radio interview about CRPS/RSD

Help My Hurt presents: 25 useful blogs on pain and illness

Marijke Durning, RN — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:57:05 +0000

One fun thing that comes from writing this blog is I get an incredible store of great information. I get lists of blogs, news stories, and a whole lot more.

Since December, 2007, here are some blogs I’ve enjoyed and recommended:

How To Cope With Pain

Cranky Fitness

OneHealthPro

Nickie’s Nook

Life With Chronic Pain

the Vagina Dialogues

Type A with R. A.

Life in the Autoimmune Lane

One Year of Writing and Healing

RSD/CRPS=Pain

Chronic Babe

Lotsa Helping Hands

Resources for caregivers:

National Family Caregivers Association

Partners Against Pain

Mobility Limited

National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization

National Family Caregivers Association

National Institute on Adult Day Care

Arthritis Foundation National Office

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc.

National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease Information Clearinghouse (NAMSIC)

The Caregiver Network, Inc. (not updated since 2004, but still has good information)

Caregiver.com

National Organization for Victim Assistance

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

I hope you find at least some of the blogs useful and/or enjoyable. As always, feel free to let me know of any that you feel should be added to the list.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Post from: Blisstree

Help My Hurt presents: 25 useful blogs on pain and illness

5 more interesting sites or blogs for you

Marijke Durning, RN — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:09:06 +0000

It’s blog and site searching time for me. I love to go out and see what is available and I hope that some of the blogs and sites I recommend are helpful for you.

Today’s offerings are diverse.

I stumbled upon One Year of Writing and Healing as I was searching around. The site is run by a physician/writer. In her welcome, she writes: “Welcome to One Year of Writing and Healing, a site designed to explore connections between writing and healing–and to facilitate your own exploration. Here, you’ll find writing ideas, recommended books, and food for thought, all grounded in a growing body of research on expressive writing and health, and also grounded in my own work–as a writer, a teacher of writing, and as a physician. ” Year 2 starts here.

I blogged about CRPS before (3 more causes of chronic pain). Reader Christine stopped by and commented. I find her site, RSD/CRPS=Pain to be a great resource. Oh – CRPS is complex regional pain syndrome, which used to be called RSD or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

Sometimes you need a particular product to help you live your life with less pain, but depending on where you live, it might not be always easy to get what you are looking for. I found this site (no affiliation with them), Chronic Pain Store. It appears to have what you may need and I did notice that it was recommended on How to Cope with Pain, a blog I really respect.

I had heard of this blog before but now I’m kicking myself for not checking out sooner. It’s chock full of information and very entertaining too: Chronic Babe. It’s fun to look at a site that while it does deal with issues that can bring us down, the color, style and tone, can help bring us up too.

And finally, another new site for me (I found it through Chronic Babe), is Lotsa Helping Hands. It looks like a fabulous resource for many. Check it out.

That’s it for today! I hope you’re having a good weekend.

~~~~~~~~~~

Post from: Blisstree

5 more interesting sites or blogs for you