Category: Opinion

How CRPS Is A Family Disease

By Samantha Anderson Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in our pain and our diagnosis that we do not realize that CRPS goes beyond us. Our families can be changed because of a CRPS diagnosis. While we have to focus on working on our own pain, it can be important to recognize some of the impacts of CRPS being a family illness. Last night, I was watching a television show with my mom. In it, the son was struggling with an illness. The therapist speaking to the parents explained that it is a chronic illness, which makes it a family illness. This does not mean that it is genetic, but it means that the family is affected by it. That’s…continue reading

Embracing Valentine’s Day 2018

By Samantha Anderson Living with CRPS makes holidays stressful. Valentine's Day is a whole other topic. Sometimes, we are our own Valentine, while other times we may not feel up to going along with our Valentine's plans. How can we adapt to make the most of this day about love? Valentine’s Day can be a stressful day for those of us living with CRPS. Some of us get a little down because we cannot do the things we would like to do to celebrate this day of love. Others may get down because their relationships may have changed over the course of their time with CRPS. This year, I am personally sending the self-love Cupid to everyone with CRPS’ house…continue reading

Quotes and Mantras To Help CRPS Warriors

Written by Samantha Anderson for the RSDSA blog Everyone has bad days. They are inevitable. Bad days are what make good days feel amazing. It can feel incredibly difficult to get through some bad days, particularly if pain is high on those days. We all need something to pull us through and remind us that things get better and that we are strong than we believe. Take a look through some of the quotes that we found helpful for bad days with CRPS. Consider printing out this list or taking your favorite one and writing it out to hang up on your mirror so you see it every morning. Quotes: For the moments when things just are not going right:…continue reading

Combating a CRPS Winter With Music

Written by Samantha Anderson for the RSDSA blog. Getting through cold, dark winters can be difficult for anyone. With CRPS, we understand that there can be more complications. As someone with CRPS, I've fought through some of the darkness of winter with music. Get on board with me and see what my recommendations are to get you through to Spring! Winter can be incredibly difficult for people with CRPS. All through the United States, we’ve been facing some crazy weather. There has been snow in places that it doesn’t snow, temperatures lower than Alaska in the Northeast, and overall low temperatures all over the country. This weather can make us feel less than stellar. With snow and ice, it can…continue reading

15 Tips For Healthcare Providers Treating CRPS/RSD

By Guest Blogger Melissa Wardlaw As a patient with CRPS/RSD, I am lucky to have a pain-management physician I have been partnered with since 2004 whom I trust, who trusts me and who understands my complex medical issues. As I have visited many physicians and other specialists on my medical journey before and after partnering with him, clearly this hasn’t always been the case! Recently I spoke to an audience of healthcare professionals at a healthcare conference, and left them with this takeaway of some helpful treatment tips I have comprised in all my years as a CRPS/RSD, chronic illness & pain patient. 1. Patients with CRPS/RSD are on individual journeys and every patient is different! Even though most patients…continue reading

CRPS Awareness Day 27: CRPS, Function, and Rehabilitation

Written by Michael Sullivan PT, MSPT for the RSDSA blog. How important is movement to our health and wellbeing? A dark lesson starting in medieval times and running into the mid-1800s is provided by the numerous inquisitions, the most famous being the Spanish Inquisition.  For over 700 years torture was used to induce people to confess to their heresies, recant their heathen ways and profess their faith in God. Torture was used to speed up the process. One of the most effective means of torture was the use of constraints to restrict a person’s ability to move. Stocks, barrels, metal cages, ropes and chains were used to prevent movement. The tighter a person is bound, the less they can move,…continue reading

CRPS Awareness Day 16: What We Lose When We Undertreat Pain

Kate was a civil rights attorney for the Justice Department when pain consumed her life. Using opioids to function, she moved on to become a federal prosecutor. Based on her experience, she recorded this TED Talk to show how the opioid "crisis" is harming the people in pain that need it and how it harms so many when we undertreat pain. Thank you to Kate for sharing her story and her opinion on such a large platform. We are honored to share it through our blog. The full description of this YouTube video states: "Kate Nicholson was working as a civil rights attorney for the Justice Department when a surgical error left her unable to sit or stand, largely bedridden,…continue reading

CRPS Awareness Day 10: CRPS Teacher Turned Student

By Guest Blogger Lara Santoro, Ph.D. Lana Edwards Santoro, Ph.D., is a teacher, educational consultant, writer, and amateur photographer. She also lives with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Embracing CRPS turned this teacher back into a student. Lana’s interest in education began when she was in elementary school. She loved reading and never passed an opportunity to visit books in the library. She remembers setting up a “school” at home in her living room, and how her grandfather lovingly subjected himself to her improvised reading lessons. Lana’s early interest in teaching and learning became her professional work. With an interest in multidisciplinary, integrated approaches to education and health, she taught in a residential treatment program, psychiatric hospital, and a center…continue reading

CRPS Awareness Day 7: Ketamine Treatment Information

Written by Guest Blogger Allison Wells, MD Dr. Wells shares her take on ketamine treatment information for CRPS. She offers insight to what she thinks works best, the effects CRPS can have on a person, and the impact of infusions. Please note that this is Dr. Wells' opinion and we advise that all members of the CRPS community consult with their doctor about the best options for them. CRPS / RSD can cause intense, chronic pain and can be debilitating. Many CRPS patients have lost jobs, friends and family relationships due to their illness. Many have been forced to give up activities they love and most also suffer with anxiety and depression related to their condition. Physicians and researchers are…continue reading

The Top 10 Shoe Brands for CRPS From a CRPS Perspective

Written by Guest Blogger Ashley Epping I developed CRPS at 12 years old in my left wrist. After being diagnosed, I spent the next six years dancing competitively, staying at the Pediatric Cleveland Clinic, creating art, traveling abroad and applying to colleges. I never once thought about my shoe choice because I didn’t need to. Though I would always see others in my support groups posting photos of shoes that worked for them, and to be honest most were not versatile enough to wear for specific occasions such as professional or dressy settings. For the first six years my pain was only located in my upper body, but in the following years the pain spread to the lower regions. For…continue reading