Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is the popular name of the disease Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It is a chronic disease that affects the nervous system. It leads to swelling, pain and modifications of the skin. Silas Weir Mitchell first illustrated CRPS during the Civil War of America. He named this form as causalagia. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy was first used in 1940 for describing the conditions of the disease. Complex regional pain syndrome was offered in the Orlando workshop in the year 1993. It identified Reflex sympathetic dystrophy and causalgia as its two types.
Symptoms of reflex sympathetic disease can be present in a person of any age. It is mostly noticed among the children. Women suffer from this disease more than men do. The symptoms generally become obvious close to the place of the injury and spread from here. It might cover the limb completely and sometimes the opposite limb too.
The symptoms of the reflex sympathetic dystrophy can be identified easily. This disease is characterized by symptoms like pathological alterations in skin and bone and swelling of tissue. A person suffering from this disease would sweat excessively, have severe burning and are extremely sensitive to touch. It pains constantly and increases by any excitement. Movement of the limb is generally impossible which stiffens the joints. The symptoms differ in respect to the period and severity of the disease.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is caused due to the injury of nerve. It is caused when a nerve tissue do not follow the normal healing process. The spread of the injury is not based on the extent of it. The affected nerve stops functioning normally. The diagnosis is done by depending on the medical history and the possible examinations of a patient as there is no laboratory for this. Injury, illness as well as operations are generally considered as the causes for this disease.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy is classified into two types. They are CRPS I that is also known as Reflex Sympathetic D and CRPS II popular as Causalagia. The injury of the nerve is hard to identify in CRPS I. In case of CRPS II a patient suffers from major injury of nerve. In CRPS I a patient suffer from immobilization. Sometimes it is noticed that the color of the patient’s skin changes or the sudomotor do not function properly in the affected area. In case of CRPS II the allodynia and pain can spread beyond the affected nerve.
There are various methods for treating CRPS. All of them prescribe medicines along with physical treatment. There are numerous anti inflammation and antidepressant drugs like corticosteroids which are prescribed by the physicians. They also use GABA analogs like pregabalin and gabapentin, COX-inhibitors like vasodilators and piroxicam and blocking compounds of alpha or beta adrogenic. Drug that numbs a certain portion of the body often forms the primary stage of the therapy. Injections are given depending on the condition of the patient. If it is repeated frequently then it could block the nerve. The easily available lidocaine scraps that are also used in the treatment of both types of CRPS. Stimulation of the spinal cord also called neurostimulation can be set by surgery for decreasing te pain which is caused by setting it directly. These instruments set the electrodes either above the spinal cord or on the nerves that are not within the central nervous system.
A person should consult a doctor after suffering severe injury. They should take Vitamin C so that the chances of its growth are reduced.
Most of the diagnosis is same in the case of both the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. A diagnostic method called thermography is used for measuring the blood flow. It also determines the variation of heat emitted by the body. The method of sweat testing comprises of multiple tests. It uses a powder that transfers its color when reacts with the sweat. These tests have correlated with the clinical symptoms of the disease CRPS.