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FEATURE | BROATCH
We are acutely aware of the devastation caused by the pain of CRPS.
People become disabled and marriages fail. Families break part and lives
are financially ruined. People become socially isolated and housebound.
CRPS, Social Security, Workers’
Compensation, and the Insurance Industry
Although it is a challenge for most people who apply for Social
Security Disability benefits, individuals with CRPS are hampered
by the lack of knowledge and understanding of the syndrome
itself. In 1999, RSDSA was instrumental in convincing
the Social Security Administration to issue a special ruling on
how to adjudicate CRPS claims. We continue to receive letters
RSDSA Publications
and email from members
who have used
our information to get
their claims approved.
Injured employees
with CRPS do not fare
well in the Workers’
Compensation (WC)
program. Of the 1,362
people who completed
the web-based survey,
41% reported being
injured at work; however,
only a few of
them obtained workers’
compensation benefits.
Too often, the
relationship between
an injured worker and
the WC insurance carrier
erupts into a war.
Treatment is frequently
delayed and denied.
In 2005, RSDSA
exhibited at the conferences
of two major workers’ compensation groups, the
Risk and Insurance Management Society and Case Management
Society of America. We view these conferences as opportunities
to reach out to case managers and risk managers,
some of whom still view CRPS as a nebulous, expensive,
and frequently fraudulent claim. We launched a special newsletter,
Working Together, Ensuring a Brighter Future, at these conferences.
Our goal is to develop a mutually beneficial
relationship. We will distribute our new Clinical Practice Guidelines
to the insurers to encourage early intervention and appropriate
treatment, enabling individuals with CRPS to recover
and return to work.
RSDSA publishes several free brochures to help people with CRPS/RSD, their families, and their healthcare
providers. Please call RSDSA at 877-662-7737 to order copies.
In Pain, Out of Work, and Can’t Pay the Bills, a resource directory, contains information on government programs, patient
assistance programs, insurance, community and faith-based sources of help, resources for veterans, and much more.
Recognizing, Understanding, and Treating CRPS/RSD is a quick overview of the syndrome, its telltale signs and symptoms,
and treatment ideas. It is particularly valuable for those people who are newly diagnosed and their families.
Helping Children with RSD Succeed in School is a practical guide for parents, teachers, school nurses, and administrators
on accommodating the school environment for children and adolescents who have CRPS/RSD.
Treating Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, A Guide for Therapy contains
information on evaluation of CRPS/RSD for functional rehabilitation, treatment protocols, and treatment progression.
CRPS/RSD and Sports Injuries: Prevention is the Name of the Game addresses the risk that athletes have of developing
the syndrome. New research also links the development of CRPS to some of the surgeries that have traditionally helped
sports injuries. This brochure is a must-read for athletes, parents, coaches and athletic trainers, as well as those who
practice sports medicine.
Telltale Signs & Symptoms Handicard is a quick reference for practitioners. The laminated, credit-card size card features
the telltale signs of CRPS on one side and a pain scale on the other. This tidy handout has been a great hit among
healthcare professionals, students, and people who have CRPS/RSD.
Patient Education
Linda Lang, an RSDSA board member and coauthor of Living
with RSDS, described the tremendous losses experienced by an
individual with CRPS.
What to Call It —CRPS or RSD?
IN RECENT YEARS, the medical community has almost universally accepted the term Complex Regional Pain
Syndrome Type I (CRPS) to describe what had been called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD). CRPS is
a more comprehensive term that denotes the syndrome’s regional nature and that it is not always mediated by the
sympathetic nervous system. For this magazine, we used whatever term the author chose (CRPS, RSD/CRPS, or RSD).
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