Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer - reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome

One Man's Pain......

Laura Mackie — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:01:24 GMT

......Is another man's pleasure. Well at least as far as Jeffrey Mogil of the University of Illinois is concerned. More accurately, with the results of 62 different studies behind him, Mogil says that scientists now know that people really do feel pain differently when confronted by the same stimulus.

The answer, it appears, can be found in the human genome. The search goes on within the scientific community to locate the actual gene which may be manipulated to effectively reduce or eliminate chronic pain. Mogil's studies, using mice as subjects, have also determined that a relationship exists between initial sensitivity to pain and subsequent response to different drugs. These same studies also confirm what many within the scientific community have suspected all along, that reactions to pain are somewhat gender specific. The genes involved in feeling pain are different in males and females. "In addition to these apparent differences in magnitude, there appears to be fundamental neurochemical and genetic differences," said Mogil. "Both feel pain, but they are responding differently, by activating different circuitry in the brain."

As with most medical studies the long term application of these findings has yet to be determined. However, for those litigators whose clients have been diagnosed with chronic pain, these findings certainly add validity to settlement demands based on pain and suffering.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Laura Mackie

More than the sum of its parts: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Laura Mackie — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 11:38:49 GMT

Sometimes overcoming the established prejudice of defense doctors, attorneys and insurance companies against the so-called malingerer presents itself as the most difficult part of pre-trial negotiations. Potential pre-trial settlements can easily be de-railed by defense usage of terms such as 'secondary gain' and 'psychogenic' in discussing diagnosis, prognosis and residuals.

Questioning a plaintiff's credibility whilst making accusations of malingering may be seen as the 'best defense' in cases where damages are based on pain and suffering. This is especially so in cases where a client is suffering from extreme pain, seemingly out of proportion to the initial injury and/or damages suffered in an accident.

Fortunately for injured parties throughout the world, the medical community has made tremendous progress in understanding the complex manner in which the human nervous system functions and reacts to trauma. Often the chronic pain described by clients will carry a diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) , also referred to as Regional Pain Syndrome (RPS).

Many patients who develop RSD / CRPS as the result of an injury do so in the context of legal liability. Some patients can be expected to defend their rights in courts of law. It is not uncommon for the defendant to accuse the patient of faking their condition, especially if there are no objective findings for RSD / CRPS documented on the medical record.

RSD / CRPS can be described in terms of an injury to a nerve or soft tissue (e.g. broken bone) that does not follow the normal healing path. Development of RSD / CRPS does not appear to depend on the magnitude of the injury. It is not unusual for the injury to be so slight that the patient may not recall ever having received an injury. For reasons not yet fully understood, the sympathetic nervous system seems to assume an abnormal function after an injury. If undiagnosed and untreated, RSD / CRPS can spread to all extremities, making the rehabilitation process a much more difficult one. If untreated, RSD / CRPS can become extremely expensive due to permanent deformities and chronic pain. The potential exists for long-term financial consequences. At an advanced state of the illness, patients may have significant psychosocial and psychiatric problems, which may include a dependency on narcotics prescribed to alleviate pain. Patients may become completely incapacitated by the disease. The treatment of patients with advanced RSD is a challenging and time-consuming task.

Legal arguments based on the most recent medical information available with regard to pain disorders may provide early economic relief to a client, and may, in fact, actually contribute to a client's eventual recovering as the stress associated with litigation is resolved.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Laura Mackie

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Reference Book

Laura Mackie — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:47:38 GMT

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD) is a malfunction of the nervous system that affects up to 1.2 million Americans.

A disorder that is often poorly understood by medical professionals as well as patients and their families, this life altering affliction develops in response to an event, such as an accident or medical procedure, that the body regards as traumatic. Experts surmise that this pain syndrome, which is characterized by severe and relentless pain, may follow 5% of all injuries.

The main symptom of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is intense pain, often described as "burning". Although often viewed by medical professionals as a relatively new medical diagnosis, this syndrome was first described after the Civl War when soldiers reported feeling intense "hot pain" long after their wounds had healed.

Recently, an excellent referrence book has been published which will be very helpful to attorney's and pateints dealing with this disease. The book is titled, "Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, And Annotated Research Guide To Internet References" Highly recommended.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Laura Mackie

Arthritis Foundation publishes new Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy FAQ

Ed Smith — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 11:32:29 GMT

RSDS or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome is an abnormality of the central nervous system which often results from relatively minor trauma. It is also known by many other terms including causalgia, Sudeck's atrophy, complex regional pain syndrome and shoulder-hand syndrome.

Whatever name it is called by, the main symptom is a severe burning pain often accompanied by limited movement of an extremity. Because of a limited blood supply to the affected area, an atrophy or dystrophy often occurs.

Our office has handled many severe RSD cases over the years, and The Arthritis Foundation has now published a very good FAQ online entitled RSD: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. I highly recoommend it as a strting point for your research.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith

New Documentary about RSD

Ed Smith — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:54:13 GMT

A new documentary is being produced to help bring awareness of RSD to the medical community. The film will show the experience of living with an RSD patient and the severe impact it has on the famiy's of RSD victims. RSD patients are interviewed along with their families, doctors, therapists and other caregivers.

The documentary is being produced now and the hope is to assist patients, as well as family, and friends of those who suffer from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)r more recently known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

You can also make Documentary donations to American RSDHope in increments of $10, $20, $30, or $50, or $100 using credit card, debit card, or by mail by clicking here;

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith

Chronic Pain - RSD Information Expo

Ed Smith — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 02:22:29 GMT

On November 18, 2006, Noon-3:00 PM, a conference on Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) will be Held in the Stained Glass Lobby of St Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ.

Reflex Sympathetic Distrophy is a rare nerve disease where nerves send constant pain signals to the brain even after the original injury has healed. Between 200,000 and 1.2 Million American suffer from this rare disease.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Ed Smith — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:37:43 GMT

It's hard to imagine a minor injury, like an ankle sprain, turning into a lifetime of pain. But it's happening to as many as one million Americans. It's a disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and doctors don't know what causes it or how to cure it. Complex regional pain syndrome can be triggered by even the slightest injury to nerves or nerve endings.

According to Dr.Robert Schwartzman, who treats many CRPS patients, "There is no pain in medicine worse than this".

It is thought than some patients may have a genetic propensity to the disease shich can be activated with even the slightest trauma.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith