Musculoskeletal Injuries That Cause CRPS / RSD - Nerve Damage and Trauma
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome / Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy is a complicated disease that can affect anyone who has suffered an injury, regardless of the presence of obvious nerve damage. While the condition is associated with a dysfunction of the nervous system, in most CRPS / RSD cases no obvious nerve damage is observed, making the exact mechanism of the intense pain a mystery. What may begin as a minor injury turns into intense pain. Meanwhile, medical bills begin to pile up with each new treatment to alleviate it.
If you have suffered one of the injuries that cause CRPS / RSD—whether a musculoskeletal injury sustained in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, trauma from a needle stick, or an improperly injected medication—contact CRPS / RSD attorney John Gehlhausen.
Who Gets CRPS / RSD?
Everyone is susceptible to CRPS / RSD, though women and those between the ages of 20 to 60 seem most prone to the condition. In recent years, the number of reported cases of adolescents and young adults who are suffering with CRPS / RSD has increased.
The medical community is unsure why some people exhibit symptoms of CRPS / RSD. However, nerve injury is a frequent cause. While anyone who has been injured or had nerve damage has a chance of having the condition, not everyone does.
Causes of CRPS / RSD
While nerve damage often causes CRPS / RSD, musculoskeletal injuries can also cause the condition. CRPS / RSD is divided into two forms:
- CRPS Type 1 is a nerve disorder that occurs in the limbs after an injury
- CRPS Type 2 occurs when there is direct injury to a nerve.
Over 90 percent of CRPS / RSD cases fall into CRPS Type 1, which often occurs after a minor injury. These musculoskeletal injuries cause no obvious nerve damage that explains the intensity of the pain felt.
The remaining 10 percent fall into the category of CRPS Type 2, occurring after a severe trauma to a limb where nerve damage is obvious. This can occur through surgery where nerves are sometime severed in order to access an area of the body, or through nerve trauma from a needle stick or blood donation where the nerve is struck by the needle tip. In other instances, the nerve damage can result from inappropriately administered medications. Since the condition was discovered, physicians have been unable to pinpoint the exact trigger that causes the condition. Some point to a misfiring in the synapses of the nerves, which prolongs and intensifies the pain. Others think that the immune system plays a role, thus explaining the associated skin problems such as redness and swelling. Regardless of the reason, the condition is often devastating to those who must suffer through chronic pain.
Contact CRPS / RSD Attorney John Gehlhausen If Your CRPS / RSD Is Due to Another’s Negligence
Injuries that cause CRPS / RSD include nerve damage or trauma and musculoskeletal injuries. Any of these can be due to another’s negligence either through medical malpractice or an accident. If you have CRPS / RSD, contact attorney John Gehlhausen. He represents individuals across the country and will fight for the compensation you deserve.