|
|
The Sorehand Chronicles: The best RSI
info anywhere, from the people who've "been there, done that!" |
|
Copyright for all materials belongs to the original authors. Do not repost or reprint without permission from the author.
---------- > ToOREHAND@ITSSRV1.UCSF.EDU > Subject: Re: doctor update news > Date: Thursday, October 26, 2000 11:42 PM > > Hi Karen; > Sorry to hear of the RSD dx but not surprised. The neurosurgeon sounds very > capable and willing to share vital information with you -- more than just > writing a prescription or a referral. Glad to hear your attorney is proceeding > with your claim. Hope the cheques start arriving soon. At some point, you > might ask the neurosurgeon about a referral to a pain management clinic. > > Here is Ramona Tung's very informative post about RSD, with website addresses > at the bottom. > > > In diagnosing RSD, I thought they do 3-D bone scan to detect > osteoporosis, which I thought was generally not present until > Stage 2. Stage 1 is the early stage of RSD where it tends to > be reversible. RSD is difficult to diagnose and it usually > takes a combination of tests and evaluation of patient symptoms. > I may be wrong, but I thought that usually the stellate ganglion > (SG) block is one of the most common ways to diagnose/treat > early stage RSD (in the upper extremity). If you have symptom > relief from the SG block, it is a positive indicator of RSD. > > RSD is probably even > more poorly understood than RSI in the medical community... > > ...the 4 cardinal signs of RSD: > pain (extreme constant burning type of pain), swelling (of the > hands due to vasospasm - can be either soft swelling in early > stage or hard swelling later), color changes (red, blue, or > mottled hands - varies because it is caused by vasospasm), and > stiffness (of the joints in the hands)? Other common (but not > necessarily present) symptoms of earlier stages of RSD include > temperature changes in the hands (excessive hot or cold, when > the air temp is the other way), excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), > excessive nail/hair growth (later slows/stops), and others... > > > I am not a physician, but many of us have seen first hand > that not all medical professionals who treat us know what > the heck they are doing. RSD is something you want to catch > early if you have it, but if you do suspect it, you need to > be sure they do the right kinds of tests in order to confirm > it or rule it out. > > More info on RSD can be found at: http://64.4.8.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=b6b63f111a7763ab853b1a67be5939cc&lat=975681364&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ersdhope%2eorg > and http://64.4.8.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=5d1fc9f5c5a62640d80b99740bd3f79c&lat=975681364&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ersddx%2ecom (a great site) > > One random note: for RSD patients, ICE is a big no-no... it > can accelerate the progression of the disease. Also, hot/cold > contrast baths are not recommended because of the ice problem. > See Dr. Hooshimand's site (#2 above). > > - Ramona ------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2000 13:33:56 -0600 Subject: Re: Responsibility etc (was Re: Fwd:Wrist pain & employers) Catherine, I agree with you for fighting for awarness. I have been caught up in my WC case for 1 1/2 yr. I refuse to give up now. Not only do I have RSI, but now it has turned into RSD. There is the possibility of the RSD spreading to my other limbs, which could eventually put me in a wheelchair. I have told my lawyer that if I have to go to the Supreme Court and battle this out if it takes me the rest of my life, oh well. Somebody is going to listen!!!!!!!! Things are going ok now. I had the stellate ganglion block done Friday and it worked temporary. I doc. did the injection for diagnostic reasons. Now there is no dispute of whether my injury is from my previous neck injury or from work. I'll go back next Tues. for another injection that should last for a couple of months. Good news is the question is over of if it happened at work. When this is all said and done, I'm going public in this city I live in to help the people here aware of what RSI can do to a person. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 09:21:00 -0800 Subject: Re: State of Confusion Linda wrote: >My accident: fell over a box, landed on hands and knees on a hard tile floor. > >Symptoms: sore knees, pain in right neck and shoulder, unable to lift >right arm, weakness and pain in both arms, wrists and hands. About >2 weeks after the accident my palms and bottoms of my feet starting >burning as if sunburned and have continued burning ever since with >no relief. Linda, You might also want to consider RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), just in case... it can follow a traumatic injury like yours, and usually presents with burning pain, swelling, stiffness, color changes in hands and/or feet. Sometimes the shoulder of the affected hand is also stiff. Another possibility is that you've sustained (in your upper extremities) a brachial plexus traction injury, depending on how you actually fell. That means that a large bundle of nerves near your neck that supplies your arms (and other major muscles in back area and such) got stretched - and nerves don't like to be stretched (can get damaged). That could present with symptoms like TOS, which also affects brachial plexus. A TOS specialist is often aware of brachial plexus stretch injury and RSD. There is a list of TOS specialists (usually vascular surgeons) on the TOS forum, whose URL is listed below... Here are some sites with info on RSD & TOS: RSD: http://www.rsdhope.org http://www.rsdrx.com If you have these signs, consider getting a sympathetic nerve block for diagnosis and initial treatment. It is still early for you, and possible you might need both the stellate ganglion (for the hands) and lumbar for the feet. The right kind of gentle PT (to counteract stiffness and try to break the abnormal cycle) is also critical early on... TOS forum (a bulletin board style): http://www.braintalk.org (find TOS under specific neurological conditions - it has a good search engine) It is important to get the right diagnosis/diagnoses (i.e. figure out what is involved in your problem) so you can concentrate your efforts (PT, exercises, stretching, etc) in the right areas. Note, I didn't say the right diagnosis had to necessarily come from an MD (however, they are trained to recognize many problems). Of course, not all health care practitioners are created equal... Best to you. - rat
http://www.rsiprogram.com