This book provides an up-to date, extensive, and focused review of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). It reflects the current scientific understanding of the disorder, describes appropriate treatment recommendations, and explores future directions of diagnosis and treatment. Divided into three sections, the first section covers the etiology and pathology of CRPS. The following section offers treatments and emerging advances in evaluation and/or treatment. The book then closes with an exploration of varying patient populations. Each chapter is authored by specialists experienced with CRPS research and treatment. Additionally, the review and recommendations provided reflect careful consideration of evidence-based medicine and medical consensus guidelines. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome targets a range of healthcare specialties including pain management, rheumatology, neurology, internal medicine, and family practice.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) affects millions of people worldwide. The disease causes patients to suffer from constant chronic pain after minor trauma or surgery. The purpose of this book is to share the stories of how CRPS impacts the lives of patients. We hope that these stories will enlighten how CRPS disrupts the patient's life on many levels, from having family issues, social issues, financial distress, and how the medical community treats these patients. It is our hope this book will help educate the public, the medical community, and promote more awareness about CRPS.

Combining theoretical and practical aspects of pain, from basic scientific concepts to specific strategies of therapeutic management, this book serves as a guide to current concepts of pain and should appeal to both clinicians and researchers.

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As many as eight million people worldwide suffer from reflex sympathetic pain syndrome/chronic regional pain syndrome (RSD/CRPS). Many have not been diagnosed, even though the pain they experience can be severe, debilitating, and life-changing. As Dr. Katinka van der Merwe, DC, QNP, reveals in Putting Out the Fire, RSD/CRPS was first documented during the Civil War. It took physicians many decades to understand the subtleties of the disease, and research is still moving forward. Dr. Van der Merwe is at the forefront of new treatments to relieve pain. Van der Merwe helps readers understand the myriad symptoms associated with RSD/CRPS and explains how the syndrome stems from a malfunction in the central nervous system. In addition to providing background and research on RSD/CRPS, Van der Merwe includes her revolutionary Four-Punch System treatment technique. She uses her expertise in Vagus Nerve awakening, Quantum Neurology nerve rehabilitation, frequency-specific microcurrent, and the VECTTOR Therapy System to compressively treat pain at its source. Not only must RSD/CRPS sufferers deal with the chronic, constant pain, but they often have anxiety, depression, and frustration about their condition. Van der Merwe understands this and gives readers hope for a brighter future.

Complex regional pain syndrome is a medically and economically significant condition that is disproportionate to the inciting event. Until now, it has been difficult to make the diagnosis, but this volume presents validated diagnostic criteria for the condition. Treatment for the condition has been hampered by the lack of good clinical evidence. This volume summarizes all reported treatments and evaluates the scientific evidence for each. A treatment algorithm is presented. This is a text that will be invaluable for the clinician, and for all those who address the issues of CRPS in the medical, rehabilitation, public health, or medicolegal fields.

Imagine if the mere breeze of an air conditioner were to send you into excruciating pain. For those suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), historically called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), this crippling neuropathic pain is an unrelenting reality. With symptoms such as swelling, hypersensitivity, stiffness, burning pain, and temperature abnormalities, CRPS can develop at any time and quickly leaves its victims disabled and isolated. This book explains CRPS in an accessible style, featuring modern self-help techniques, complementary therapies, and holistic strategies for maximizing the potential for healing. Readers with CRPS will find a wealth of tips on life modifications to help better manage their condition, along with a list of "dynamite distractions" to refresh the pain-wracked mind and help them rediscover their imagination and humor. Patient testimonies on techniques for transforming the pain and discomfort of CRPS provide hope, and interviews with practitioners, including pain specialist Edward Carden and occupational therapist/neurological acupuncturist Sheri Barnes, offer insights every patient should know. There's even a chapter addressed to loved ones with advice for their difficult roles as encouragers and caregivers. CRPS remains a mysterious, poorly understood condition. This book provides the information and positive options everyone affected by CRPS needs.