Knock Out Pain Together- An Inspirational Story of Coming Together

   Sarah Phillips-O’Steen is an ally to the CRPS community. Ever since she was 2 years old, she has been witnessing what CRPS/RSD can do to a loved one. Her father, Julian Phillips, has been living in pain since his daughter was toddling around. As Sarah will tell you, he’s always been good at hiding his pain, but she has never known him without it. In January 2015, Julian took a terrible fall that sent him into one of the worst CRPS/RSD flare ups that he had ever experienced. This guided him into full body CRPS. While Julian was spending time in hospitals, fighting the pain, Sarah witnessed some of the grim realities that come with CRPS. Medical staff didn’t…continue reading

RSD and Me- A New Full Time Job

By Guest Blogger Sylvia Miller Being diagnosed with RSD CRPS can cause people to go through a range of emotions: denial, frustration, confusion, sadness, incompleteness, etc. Sylvia writes about what it was like trying to find an answer that wasn't RSD/CRPS. What happens after the RSD diagnosis? How can you impact your life regardless of the pain?   3 years ago, I suffered a fall and fractured my ribs.  From that point forward, it seemed to be that I reached out to any doctor to [try to] understand the pain I encountered.   A physician diagnosed me as having RSD, but I thought, surely, this doctor is wrong.  So, I continued to research and search for any understanding about RSD and…continue reading

My CRPS Experience at the Young Adult Weekend

By Guest Blogger Jess Henry-Cross Jess was a participant in our very first CRPS Young Adult Weekend this past June. She was more than happy to write a brief blog about her experience and how it changed things for her. Why are events like this so important? Read about what Jess experienced to learn more.   Around 2:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, June 18th I found myself holding back a few (happy) tears.  I was driving home after spending the last 45 hours with a group of women who recharged me in a way I had never even dared to hope for.  I didn’t want the weekend to be over.   I signed up for the RSDSA Young Adult Weekend…continue reading

How CRPS Is Like a Wailing Alarm That Never Shuts Off

By Guest Blogger Roberta Hierath This blog about CRPS being a wailing, screaming alarm that never shuts off was originally featured on The Mighty. We were given permission to post it as a part of #TheTuesdayBurn, especially since it explains the overwhelming feelings that CRPS can bring on. One thing I’ve learned in seven years of living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is that there is almost no one in the regular course of my life who truly understands what constant, unwavering and intense pain really feels like. I am glad for that fact as I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but it does make it harder for people to relate to my daily experience. So I am going to try…continue reading

7 Things I Can Do When The Pain Is Too Much- CRPS Blog

By Guest Blogger Kelly Hodgkins This blog was originally posted on Moonglotexas. Click here to view the original post. This post, entitled "7 Things I Can Do When The Pain Is Too Much" was posted with permission and offers great insight into things that you can do, or try to do, when your CRPS/RSD pain feels like too much. My CRPS has a habit of flaring up on days I’ve made plans to do fun things that rejuvenate my soul. Snuggled up under my duvet, I visualize the landscape before me trotting along on my horse. I rearrange flower beds, trim branches and try out that great idea from a book. Coffee in hand, I catch up with a friend…continue reading

Knowing When To Push Yourself with CRPS

By Samantha Barrett What is your limit? How far can you truly push yourself and your CRPS? How do you gauge each and every day  when your ability changes by the hour? Samantha has experienced this and has some stories that may help. As someone who has been living with CRPS for over a decade, I ultimately know what my limits are. Did I learn what they were right away? Absolutely not. There was a lot of trial and error in the process. But overtime, I’ve learned to read the signals that my body has given me. I’ve met a lot of people with CRPS in my time with it, and the one thing everyone is trying to figure out…continue reading

Stress: A Chronic Pain (CRPS/RSD) Warrior’s Worst Enemy

By Guest Blogger Gabe King Gabe is back this week to blog about stress, the impact it has on CRPS/RSD and chronic pain, and how to try to manage it. While stress is an inevitable part of life, there are certainly ways to manage it. "...Chaos calls but all you really need...Is to just breathe." -Johnny Diaz, "Breathe" Stress is a normal part of everyday life. It starts as soon as you wake up: getting kids ready for school, finishing a major project for work, or preparing for a big family meal. These are normal, mostly every day, stresses of life. Often times, for the typical human being, it can be hard not to allow these stresses to get the best of…continue reading

Understanding CRPS/RSD – As Taken from Fitness for Your Health

Written By Michael Sullivan, PT, MSPT for RSDSA blog. This post is about understanding CRPS was originally featured on Fitness for Your Health. Learn about the pain and how they diagnosis it here. This week’s topic is one not many know too much about but it can be a very debilitating condition. Those who suffer from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), A.K.A. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), know far too well how bad this condition is. It is a very complex condition (hence the name), so we have asked the Director of Physical Therapy here at our clinic to explain it. Michael Sullivan earned his MSPT at Duke University in 1989. He worked in private practice for eight years before deciding…continue reading

Never Let Pain Define You- CRPS Inspiration

By Guest Blogger Gabe King Guest blogger Gabe returns this week. After his blog entitled "A Thorn in the Flesh" was well-received, he returns to write about how CRPS pain can change you, but it doesn't need to be in a negative way. "Don't let pain define you, let it refine you." -Tim Fargo With chronic pain, it can be very easy to allow it to define who you are. You can feel like just giving up and allow it to control every inch of your life, letting it decide who you can be. In all honesty, I have found myself doing the exact same thing. Because of how extensive and unpredictable our condition is, we find it extremely difficult to…continue reading

You Want to Write About CRPS, But Don’t Know What to Say

By Special Events Coordinator, Samantha Barrett To write about CRPS is to expose a part of yourself that is vulnerable, but so important when it is shared. Members of our community have voiced an interest in writing about CRPS, but didn't know where to start. Here we go! Writer’s Block. Anxiety. Fear. Overwhelming thoughts. All of this contributes to an issue that I hear about all to often. Members of the CRPS community want to write about their experiences, both good and bad, but it can be incredibly difficult to find a starting place. How can you get past the barriers to write about your own experience, whether it’s for public viewing or for your eyes only? Finding a starting…continue reading