Progression and Management of RSD

About Progression and Management of RSD

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, now more often called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, is a chronic pain condition that can follow a relatively minor injury such as a wrist fracture, a crush injury, or even a sprain. It is characterized by burning pain that is out of proportion to the original trauma, along with swelling, temperature and color changes, sweating, and extreme sensitivity to touch.

The condition tends to progress through stages: an acute inflammatory phase with intense burning pain and swelling, a dystrophic phase with stiffness, skin and nail changes, and reduced motion, and an atrophic phase with tissue and muscle wasting and contractures that can become permanent. Early diagnosis matters enormously because treatment is far more effective before the later changes set in.

Management usually combines aggressive physical therapy to keep the limb moving, medications for nerve pain, sympathetic nerve blocks, and in some cases spinal cord stimulators, alongside psychological support for the effect chronic pain has on sleep, mood, and work. In a personal injury claim, proving RSD/CRPS requires careful documentation from treating physicians, which is why these cases benefit from early legal involvement.

Questions about your own situation? Segal Law Firm offers a free case evaluation for injured people in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Long Island & Staten Island.