Living with RSDS: Your Guide to Coping with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome

No one knows what causes reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS), also known as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), or why it follows an estimated 5 percent of all injuries. The condition is an under-diagnosed and under-treated neurological syndrome characterized by swelling, skin discoloration, stiffness, and intense and chronic burning pain. RSDS affects as many as 6 million Americans; it is most often set off by a relatively minor physical trauma, but can also follow surgery or more serious injury. The diagnosis is often missed in the early stages of the disease, and when left untreated the syndrome leaves the sufferer bedridden and in incredible pain.

This book brings you, for the first time, an in-depth explanation of RSDS, including the most current and effective treatments and numerous self-help strategies for dealing with the syndromeís painful symptoms and psychological affects. Drawing on their work on the board of directors for the RSDSA, the leading patient advocate and research foundation in the United States for RSDS patients, Moskovitz and Langís book will help you make sense of this complex syndrome, get appropriate medical care, manage your pain, and regain control over your life.

Peter Moskowitz, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon and Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery at George Washington University, where he specializes in treating people who suffer from CRPS. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the RSDSA. Dr. Moskowitz has published several articles on the subject in professional journals.

Linda Lang is an RSDS sufferer and is on the Board of the leading patient advocate and research foundation in the United States for RSD/CRPS patients, the RSDSA. Ms. Lang has helped innumerable RSDS sufferers by communicating her personal history with this disorder through the RSDSA.