CRPS II

[JMI]

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome II

CRPS Type II (also referred to as Causalgia) - cases in which a distinct "major" nerve injury has occurred

* The presence of continuing pain, allodynia, or hyperalgesia after a nerve injury, not necessarily limited to the distribution of the injured nerve
* Evidence at some time of edema, changes in skin blood flow (skin color changes, skin temperature changes more than 1.1°C difference from the homologous body part), or abnormal sudomotor activity in the region of pain
* This diagnosis is excluded by the existence of conditions that would otherwise account for the degree of pain and dysfunction.

My roommates GF has an ongoing battle with this as a result of an ankle injury at work. She has had somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 operations so far. Also, she has a device in her back that stops the pain signals (ankle) from reaching her brain.

She went to the Doctor for a tooth problem and was given two root canals, and even though her nerves are gone in those teeth, she is experiencing a great deal of pain there because of CRPS II. She always has pain, she rarely sleeps more than 1-2 hours a day (no kidding) and she is being told there is nothing further that can be done.

She is an absolute joy to be around, is a great person and somehow deals with the pain without complaining. We're talking about one tough woman here (28 yrs old).

She injured the ankle about 4-5 years ago.

I was just wondering if anyone has heard of this condition, or knows of any Doctors who have had success dealing with CRPS II? Any success stories? Yes she has doctors but I am thinking outside the box. I am confident that with all of the injuries soldiers deal with in combat and training that this may be a condition someone has heard of or dealt with.

Thank you for your time.

[swatsurgeon]

Have her see a pain management specialist...typically an anesthesiologist.
Good luck.

ss

[CoLawman]

Originally Posted by swatsurgeon

Have her see a pain management specialist...typically an anesthesiologist.
Good luck.

ss

I will second the Doc's advice. I went to the pain clinic and the anesthesiologist put a needle right below my C5 and have had no reason to return.

<<< But this is what landed me there in the first place!

[JMI]

Thank you Gentlemen.

She has been to several. She has seen many "specialists" since 2002. In fact she knows of a specialist in AZ that wants to put her in a coma for a week and administer some sort of drug during that time period.

Hypnosis, acupuncture, you name it she has tried it. Just thought I would throw it out there.

Thanks.

[tanman]

I heard about that particular condition for the first time while on a hospital training rotation in the 18D course. I was invited to sit in on a round table discussion with 12 doctors ranging in all kinds of specialties from anesthesiology to psychiatry to neurology and so on. The only thing they could all agree on is that nobody knows what the definitive etiology or best relief plan is for people dealing with the condition.

A lot of emphasis, based on the few studies that have been conducted, is on the patients connection between the pain and their psychiatric condition (in terms of pain management). The best results they had seen were generated from a combination of concurrent treatments from multiple specialists who work together for the benefit of the patient, usually involving psychiatry and anesthesiology.

That's really all I can remember right now off the top of my head from that meeting. I hope it helps!