Physical Therapy - Prolonged inactivity can worsen CRPS.  Individuals with CRPS should be taught to learn from their heart.  It is very important to keep the affected limbs active and moving.  This should be done under supervisions, as the stress of any one activity could be harmful.

Medications - There are various medications that available in the treament of CRPS.

• NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs):   Asprin, Ibuprofin, etc.
• Opioid-Like Drugs (Narcotics):  Hydrocodone, Methadone, Morphine Sulphate, etc.
• Opioid – Containing Combination Drugs:  Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
• Other Analgesics:  Acetaminophen (Tylenol) & Tramadol (Ultram)
• Anti-depressants: Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Paxil
• Muscle Relaxants:  Flexeril
• Trans-dermal Patches & Ointments: Ketamine, Fentanyl

Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks - The injection of a an anesthetic locally to numb a target area.  The objective is to block the sympathetic nervous system or sympathetic chain.

Epidural Catheter - Sometimes patients do not positively respond to the blocks.  A continous epidural analgesia can provide fast and continuous pain relief for a relatively short period of time.

Spinal Cord Stimulator - SCS sends an electrical signal over the spinal cord that is processing the patient’s pain and is indicated where the pain is neuropathic (nerve related) in nature.

 Intrathecal Drug Delivery - The technique is most often used in patients who have had good responses to the use of morphine-like drugs (opioids) taken by mouth, who can no longer use them because of intolerable side effects that can develop as tolerance to the pain-relieving effects of the drug occurs and progressively higher doses are required to get the same pain relief. Most specialists believe ITDD to be a truly “last resort” treatment for CRPS, when all other techniques have failed, because of the high rate of complications, high maintenance costs and general unavailability in the medical community.

Ketamine Infusions - **NEW INFORMATION** Dr. Lubenow has recently started me on a series of Ketamine infusions.  I will tell you these are no walk in the park, but I do receive a little relief in my knee, even if only for two or three days.  The process is one where they put you under with propafol, and then inject the ketamine over a several hour time period.  The hard part for me is waking up, as I am very disorientated and they fill you up with a bag of saline, so your bladder is full.  It's kind of like having way to much to drink, but you don't have a headache.  They will watch your nausea.  This is brought upon from the anisthetic.

Please reference the following link, to better understand this newest treatment which blocks pain receptors.  I have currently tried six treatments with little long term effect.  I am still hopeful that with Dr. Lubenow, he will be able to increase the amount I receive and thus provide relief.  Here is the following link, http://www.rsdfoundation.org/PEOPLE.htm.  Please contact me with any questions.