Positive Options for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Book excerpt: Imagine if the mere breeze of an air conditioner were to send you into excruciating pain. For those suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), historically called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), this crippling neuropathic pain is an unrelenting reality. With symptoms such as swelling, hypersensitivity, stiffness, burning pain, and temperature abnormalities, CRPS can develop at any time and quickly leaves its victims disabled and isolated. This book explains CRPS in an accessible style, featuring modern self-help techniques, complementary therapies, and holistic strategies for maximizing the potential for healing. Readers with CRPS will find a wealth of tips on life modifications to help better manage their condition, along with a list of "dynamite distractions" to refresh the pain-wracked mind and help them rediscover their imagination and humor. Patient testimonies on techniques for transforming the pain and discomfort of CRPS provide hope, and interviews with practitioners, including pain specialist Edward Carden and occupational therapist/neurological acupuncturist Sheri Barnes, offer insights every patient should know. There's even a chapter addressed to loved ones with advice for their difficult roles as encouragers and caregivers. CRPS remains a mysterious, poorly understood condition. This book provides the information and positive options everyone affected by CRPS needs.