Hi Susie: Since there wasn't a full question here, I am going to tell you what we do in our practice with RSD or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, currently called, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.  Because there currently is no known cure for CRPS, treatment is aimed at relieving painful symptoms.  Doctors may prescribe topical analgesics, antidepressants, corticosteroids, and opioids to relieve pain.  However, no single drug or combination of drugs has produced consistent long-lasting improvement in symptoms.  Other treatments may include physical therapy, sympathetic nerve block, spinal cord stimulation, and intrathecal drug pumps to deliver opioids and local anesthetic agents via the spinal cord.

In our practice, we have a multi-step program to help our chronic pain patients. We use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to challenge incorrect thinking, for instance, people often feel that they've lost their identity when they suffer with chronic pain.

The truth is, they are new people, with new ways to live. You might not be able to bungee jump anymore, but that doesn't mean that you are not capable of doing many things you still want to do. We help people explore new approaches to living.

Second, we use Biofeedback to teach people to isolate painful areas, and they learn to relax them, systematically. If Biofeedback isn't an option for you, consider Relaxation training, or a modified form of Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

We know that you can't tense up muscle groups like some folks can, but through guided relaxation, you can still isolate painful areas and get them to relax.

You can get a CD that my colleague Dr. Fee and I produced (and use almost daily with chronic pain patients) at our website, www.thestressmasters.com

Finally, I often recommend acupuncture and/or Reiki for healing and pain reduction.

You can find more help and support at The Chronic Pain Connection.

Please feel free to email me if you wish.

Dr. Diana Walcutt

The Stress Masters

Dr. Walcutt is a Psychologist, not a Psychiatrist. Psychiatrists prescribe medications. Psychologists study them, but the majority of Psychologists are not authorized to prescribe meds or give you specific advice about them. Dr. Walcutt's answers are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental disorder. Any information given in a post about medication is for educational purposes only, and primarily to aid you in having an informed discussion with your own Psychiatrist/Physician.