Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) used to be termed, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD. In fact, the older name is truly a more accurate description of the syndrome.
For some susceptible people, once injured, the autonomic nervous system does not stop sending pain signals to the brain, long after the actual injury should be healed. In many cases, it is from a simple injury such as a needle stick or a contusion, for others, it is from a surgical procedure. Either way, the pain is neuropathic.
The term neuropathic implies the pain is no longer useful or from mechanical stress but rather the nerves are firing without a purpose. In addition to the nerves firing, there is a discreet change in the autonomic nervous system tone in the area of pain. Typically, the skin is mottled, red, purple, warm and sweaty and there can be swelling. The pain is intractable and is described as intense burning.
In the mainstream medical world, this syndrome is treated, albeit ineffectively, with heavy duty prescription pain and or psychotropic medications. In spite of taking many pills, these patients are in horrible pain.
Since the autonomic nervous system functions via electrical signals, it makes much more sense and is incredibly more effective, to treat this syndrome using electrical impulses or frequencies.
I have successfully treated many patients with CRPS , in my Chicago area office, by using SCENAR, homeopathy and by electrically stimulating acupuncture points. Often,relief is on the first treatment.
In many cases, the purple discoloration disappears with treatment as though using an eraser. Normal color is restored immediately.
Regular TENS units or E-stim will not achieve permanent results and need to be applied repeatedly for any improvement. But SCENAR sends a QRS wave in via specific points on the body to allow a dialogue with anterior hypothalamus, the master controller of the autonomic nervous system, which tells the hypothalamus it does not need all this excessive sympathetic tone.
While the acute “fight and flight” (F&F) is absolutely necessary for any injury, the body can not heal under a predominance of this tone. F&F is necessary for swelling, clotting, running, etc.. in acute trauma, but when this tone predominates, healing can not occur.
Some people are more susceptible to having a more hyper vigilant autonomic nervous system due to early exposure to trauma, medications, emotional states or genetics.
The mainstream treatments actually worsen the situation in the long term. Narcotic pain killers suppress the body’s natural endorphin production and anti-depressants increase depression in the long term use, the same with the anti-anxiety meds. In addition, the problem is electrical signaling and not necessarily chemical.
There is hope for those with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, but prescription narcotics, antidepressants and anxialytics are not part of the equation.