Chronic Pain Resources and Support – RSD / CRPS

Chronic pain resources can be valuable when managing pain. Chronic pain affects millions of people, and for over half of them, their pain interferes with their daily life. Chronic pain is one of the biggest reasons people see their doctors. Even though chronic pain can come from many different health concerns, learning how to manage it can be difficult. For me, my chronic pain was due to Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), now commonly known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). One of the hardest things for me was finding good information and connecting with others who were also going through the same thing. Managing chronic pain is tough, so I hope you find the chronic pain resources and support groups below to be helpful.

Information and Resources

American Chronic Pain Association was originally founded by Penny Cowan, who dealt with chronic pain for several years and eventually went to the Cleveland Clinic to learn coping and management skills. For years, those concepts were shared from her book “From Patient to Person”. I am not sure her book is still available; however, you can view our videos where we share her concepts of the 10 Steps, giving you a brief overview. The ACPA offers great chronic pain resources, including their ACPA Stanford Guide to help those understand more about Chronic Pain. There is also a listing of support groups. For years, I was the facilitator of a local support group.

US Pain Foundation is making sure people in pain feel empowered and educated, holding monthly webinars as well as a helpful series known as Building Your Toolbox.  They also focus heavily on advocacy as well as support groups. I also completed their support group leader training. In 2021, I also had the opportunity to present a Building Your Toolbox session on nutritional and natural support for people living with chronic pain.

The International Pain Foundation was founded by Barby Ingle and her husband, Ken. Barby also suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Her main focus is access to care and quality care for individuals dealing with pain from many different conditions. She has a publication called Ipain Magazine and hosts a yearly pain summit.

Dr. H. Hooshmand. Neurological Associates and Pain Management Center. Dr. Hooshmand passed in 2019, and his work carries on through his website and free diet book.

Fibromyalgia: If you are looking for great places for information on Fibromyalgia, Everyday Health offers an online guide.

American Academy of Pain Medicine focuses on a multidisciplinary approach for pain management.

Practical Pain Management offers a lot of information on pain management and chronic pain from a variety of causes.

Neurology Now – An Article on Living with RSD/CRPS

Chronic Pain Support Groups – RSD / CRPS

I currently offer one-on-one phone support for those dealing with chronic pain; feel free to contact me if you are interested.

For more information and practical chronic pain resources, visit our Living With Chronic Pain Learning Center. We share information on understanding chronic pain, healthy habits, pain-management options, coping skills, and becoming your own health advocate.

Key Takeaways

• Reliable information is essential when managing pain to help you better understand it and what your options are for managing it.
• Organizations offer chronic pain resources, education, advocacy, and support groups.
• Connecting with people who understand chronic pain can be very helpful and is an important part of building your support system.
• Organizations such as the American Chronic Pain Association and U.S. Pain Foundation offer resources specifically for people living with chronic pain.
• Condition-specific organizations can also help you find information and support related to conditions such as Fibromyalgia and RSD/CRPS.
• You don’t have to navigate chronic pain on your own. Chronic pain resources, support groups, organizations, healthcare professionals, and family can all be a part of your support system.