The Response of Modern Medicine
A typical treatment for reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS), which involves continual pain that feels like the skin is on fire, is anti-inflammatory drugs. However, in the long run, this does more damage than good. Although anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to produce short-term pain benefit, they result in long-term loss of function and even more chronic pain by actually inhibiting the healing process of soft tissues and accelerating cartilage degeneration. Plus, long-term use can lead to other sources of chronic pain, allergies and leaky gut syndrome .
Since RSDS often occurs after trauma to an area, such as an injury, another typical approach is to immobilize the limb, generally the hand or the foot, for a prolonged period of time. Again, in the long run this will do more harm than good and actual inhibit the healing of the soft tissue. In fact, just 2 weeks of immobilization can have the following detrimental effects on the bones and soft tissues of joints: fibrosis of periarticular tissue (contracture and weakening of joint capsules and ligaments); cartilage deterioration producing an overgrowth of bone; atrophy in weight-bearing areas; and regional bony eburnation, sclerosis and resorption (fancy terms for arthritis and osteoporosis). In general, immobility triggers the arthritic process and potentially the RSDS process as well. It is particularly detrimental to the articular cartilage that lines the bones in the joints, which will eventually degenerate if immobilization is extensive.
Likewise, when a trauma such as a broken bone happens, ligaments are also injured. Ligaments receive a very limited blood supply, which the initial injury disrupts. Anti-inflammatories and rest or immobilization make this even worse. The affected ligaments essentially have no hope of healing with this type of approach.
Other conventional treatments include various forms of sympathetic nerve blocks, such as injections of anesthetics into the sympathetic ganglion in the neck and back. These sympathetic ganglion blocks cause an increase in temperature to the limb due to the increased blood flow. Although the patient will experience immediate pain relief, its effect is only temporary. The problem with this approach is that it does nothing to repair the weakened ligaments and tendons involved and, thus, does not alleviate the chronic pain that people with this condition experience. RSDS patients may even receive multiple sympathetic blocks to the point of having anesthetic pumps placed in their backs, or their sympathetic nerves may be severed in an attempt to relieve the pain.
The Natural Medicine Approach to RSDS
A better approach is to strengthen ligament weakness with Prolotherapy. Prolotherapy can halt the progression of RSDS because the initial etiological basis for the syndrome, ligament injury, is corrected. If Prolotherapy is performed prior to stage III changes, the condition is reversible. In prolonged cases of RSDS, complementary treatments such as the topical application of DMSO may be necessary to improve blood flow. Other complementary treatments for RSDS pain include chelation therapy, oxygen therapies, heat, exercise and physical therapy.
Chronic pain is most commonly due to tendon and ligament weakness, or cartilage deterioration. The safest and most effective natural medicine treatment for repairing tendon, ligament and cartilage damage is Prolotherapy. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments and cartilage. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing.
Prolotherapy offers the most curative results in treating chronic pain. It effectively eliminates pain because it attacks the source: the fibro-osseous junction, an area rich in sensory nerves. What's more, the tissue strengthening and pain relief stimulated by Prolotherapy is permanent!
Think Prolotherapy may be for you? Call us!
To experience the Caring Medical difference for yourself, schedule a consultation via email or call us at 708-848-7789.
Caring Medical is a full time Prolotherapy doctor’s office. We have successfully treated all of the conditions we write about. This is why patients travel from across the country and internationally to be treated by our Prolotherapy physician Dr. Ross Hauser. The difference is in the care, technique, and experience you get with Dr. Hauser and team at Caring Medical.
