Anybody else with CRPS or RSD?!


Question: Anybody else with CRPS or RSD.?
It stands for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. I'm 16 years old and just recently got diagnosed with it. I have it in my left hand and have since then been using solely my right hand. I've been suffering from severe headaches recently, and was wondering if this is a result of CRPS directly, or if it is because I'm using my right hand so much, even though I am left-handed. (I have heard that forcing people to use their opposite hand for long periods of time can affect different individuals in different ways.)Health Question & Answer


Answers:
Hi Pepper. I'm very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I'm 23, and I've had CRPS since I was 14. I get terrible headaches, but I suspect that they are secondary to the pain & lack of sleep and to the medications I am on, rather than being caused directly by the CRPS.

I'm a bit concerned that you are not using your left hand at all. I know that it hurts like hell, but it is so, so important that you keep trying to use it as normally as you can. Allowing yourself to develop 'guarding behaviours' will cause more harm than good, as it just potentiates the abnormal nerve signalling that is part of CRPS. If you're not already, you really need to be seeing a good physio, and if you need to take pain killers to tolerate physio so be it. Have your doctors started or proposed any treatment for you so far.? If not, you need to be asking about medications (drugs such as certain antidepressants and epilepsy medications are usually the first choice) and other treatments such as sympathetic nerve blocks. It is crucial that they get onto this ASAP. There are a lot of different things that you can be doing with yourself at the moment. My CRPS is at the 'very severe' end of the scale and I have been through almost every treatment there is - so if you want to talk, or want some advice, please email me.

Hang in there. With the right treatment, you stand a very good chance of getting this under controlHealth Question & Answer



The consumer health information on youqa.cn is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2012 YouQA.cn -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Q&A Resources