National Pain Report continued its broad coverage of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in 2015, reporting on a new research, treatments, advocacy efforts and personal stories. Here are a few of the highlights from 2015.

35-Year-Old Wife and Mother Describes Her “Addiction” to CDC

Christiane Parsons of Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania shared her comments on the CDC’s controversial draft guidelines for prescribing opioids. “I can barely stand to have my children touch my left hand, arm, shoulder, and neck. I am a wife who cannot deal with the pain from my husband’s touch. You see I was diagnosed with CRPS/RSD in March of 2015, but I have been dealing with the enormous amount of pain, swelling so bad my skin wants to break open, and that feeling of bones being so cold that it burns from the inside out … Read More.

CRPS Took My Identity – I Took It Back

I was diagnosed with CRPS 6 years ago after a surgery to repair damage I had sustained to my wrist while kickboxing. Yes, you read that right; kickboxing. I may not look very ferocious at 5’4” and 125 lbs, but let me tell you, I had a mean right hook! I had a full time career as an electronic engineering technician, an even busier schedule as a mom, … Read More.

CRPS to Emergency Room Physicians – “Understand and Treat the Disease”

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – known best as CRPS – is still a chronic pain disease that often goes underdiagnosed. Dr. Billy Alexander, an internal medicine physician from West Monroe, Louisiana understands. “Surprisingly, some physicians are somewhat skeptical about it,” he said. “But I know it’s real.” Alexander knows CRPS is real because his daughter injured her hip as a 21-year-old varsity college basketball player and … Read More.

A Mother Daughter Team Fights Fibro, RA, CRPS and More

“In the blink of an eye, your life can change.” For Michelle DeMont of Culver City, California, her life changed in 1998 when the college student was struck by a car going 30 miles per hour in a parking lot.

She nearly died that day, and a few days since … Read More.

CRPS – Awareness Growing But Much to Do

People who are working for more understanding about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome think they are making progress. “But there is an incredible amount of work still to do,” said Jim Broatch, the Executive Director of RSDSA for the past 15 years. CRPS is classified as a rare disorder by the United States Food and Drug Administration. However, up to 200,000 individuals … Read More.

RSD/CRPS Doesn’t Own Her

For Christa Whightsel, her “introduction” to CRPS started with what seemed to be a minor accident at work. In 2008, the 20 year old former dancer was injured at work. She suffered a bone bruise and a slight break in the skin. It was enough to go to an emergency room, but something that seemed relatively minor at the time. A week later she was “hurting so badly I couldn’t stand.” … Read More.

Study: CRPS Patients Get Limb Pain Relief with Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation

People suffering from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) gain meaningful limb pain relief with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation as opposed to traditional spinal cord stimulation (SCS), a new study says. CRPS is a very painful condition that most often affects one of the limbs after an injury or trauma. 152 patients were enrolled in the ACCURATE study at 22 U.D. centers … Read More.

How CRPS Turned Me into a Crusader

Like so many CRPS sufferers, it started innocently. Ten years ago, when I was 32 I had a hysterectomy. I started putting on weight – 50 pounds to be exact and that’s a lot of weight, especially when you’re 5-foot-4 inches tall. I decided to do something about it. I was working as an electrical engineer for John Deere in Iowa, so I’m wired to find solutions. … Read More.

CRPS Message Being Heard in Emergency Rooms

Two men, committed to promoting the CRPS awareness and treatment, spent last week at the American College of Emergency Physicians meeting in Boston and came away believing their work is paying off.

There were two messages they wanted to deliver: Understand that CRPS is Real, and Ketamine injections may help in treating CRPS … Read More.

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In 2015, National Pain Report partnered with RSDSA – an international not-for-profit organization, that provides support, education, and hope to all affected by the pain and disability of CRPS/RSD, and drives research to develop better treatments and a cure.

We intend on expanding our coverage on CRPS, and welcome your stories and experience. Have something to share? Email: editor@nationalpainreport.com

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