Living with RSDS Your Guide to Coping With RSD \ A Review
I finally had the opportunity to read the book Living with RSDS, Your Guide to Coping with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, written by Linda Lang and Peter Moskovitz, MD .
This book was written in 2003; however, I feel it is still very relevant. It has lots of great ideas for helping you learn how to cope with your condition as well as understanding what RSDS /CRPS is.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome has been renamed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (RSD / CRPS). It is a complicated syndrome that has perplexed many for years. Linda shares in this book information that she wished she had access to. Especially when she was going through the struggle of learning about her illness and how to cope with it. In fact, she wrote this book to provide information to others so they would have it. Her research on the subject and her sharing of this information is much appreciated.
About the Book
What is RSDS
She really does a great job of removing the mystery of what RSDS is. Her book helps you understand the history of RSD, what it really is, and how it affects our body and nervous system. In fact, she takes the mystery out of how the body’s nervous system works and even discusses how we experience pain. Her explanations really help you understand what is going on in your body and why the pain becomes so unrelenting. When we can understand what is going on with our bodies, we can gain hope and come up with better ways to deal with this painful syndrome.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options for RSDS
We all know that one of the biggest problems with RSD / CRPS is getting a diagnosis. The unfortunate part is that patients dealing with RSD / CRPS need their diagnosis sooner rather than later. The sooner a patient receives their diagnosis, the sooner they can get help and the better their chance of a full recovery.
The book reviews what you can expect during an examination and the diagnostic tests performed to help doctors make a diagnosis. One of the telltale signs of RSD / CRPS is pain that is disproportionate to your injury. So even if you haven’t been diagnosed with RSD / CRPS and you are experiencing this type of pain, read this book; it may be of help.
Living with RSDS
Living with chronic pain is challenging, especially from RSD / CRPS. I remember those first years, the fear, the panic, the depression, the anger. You go through it all, and it does change you and your relationships with family and friends. Her book identifies this, and she shares suggestions on how to better live with RSD / CRPS. She reviews the new relationship you have to create for yourself as well as your family.
She discusses research and treatments. Some of the treatments in the book are dated, since it was written in 2003; however, it is only a small portion of the valuable information contained in her book and very much worthwhile to read. Very educational! She really does answer a lot of questions an individual would have, and I definitely recommend it!
I also have RSD / CRPS and have been dealing with its pain and symptoms since 1994. In 2005, I began taking a more holistic approach to supporting my health. I changed my diet and began focusing on movement, gut health, stress management, toxin reduction, and other healthy habits. I share more about that journey and the eight habits that made the biggest impact on my health in my book, The Healthy Habits Challenge.