The healthcare system is chock full of medications and medical devices for curing a staggering amount of ailments. There are pills for headaches, casts for broken bones, bandages for bleeding. But what if your injury heals and the pain doesn’t go away? What if the drugs available to make life tolerable result in worse symptoms than the pain itself and no medical professional seems sure how to treat you? Sounds like a nightmare – and it is for the 1.5 million Americans estimated to be living with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), “causalgia,” or reflex neurovascular dystrophy (RND), this progressive neurological condition is characterized by severe pain, swelling, and changes in the skin. CRPS most often affects one of the limbs (arms, legs, hands, or feet), usually after an injury or trauma to that limb, and may spread to other body parts.
At the Mann Law Firm, we have over 50 years of experience helping people whose loved ones have suffered from various personal injuries, including CRPS/RSD. Attorney David Mann is personally involved in every case and is committed to getting clients the compensation they deserve. He is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, past president of the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and ready to help you.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke CRPS is more common in women than in men and tends to strike around the age of 40. In more than 90 percent of the cases, the condition is triggered by a clear history of trauma or injury, yet its exact causes are not yet fully understood. Some people develop CRPS while others with similar trauma do not. Common triggers include fractures, sprains/strains, heart attacks, soft tissue injuries, surgical procedures and incorrectly placed injections, and in some cases, brain injury lawyer may provide legal assistance to those affected
Ranking as the most painful form of chronic pain that exists today by the McGill Pain Index, CRPS is further characterized by:
- Abnormal sweating in the affected area
- Spasms
- Changes in skin texture, color and temperature
- Confusion
- Insomnia
- Memory disruptions
- Hypersensitivity to touch
- Irritability
- Changes in nail and hair growth patterns
- Bone loss
- Muscle weakness
- Migraine headaches.
Presently, there is no diagnostic test to confirm CRPS. Diagnosis is based on the person’s medical history as well as signs and symptoms that match the definition of CRPS. However, other conditions such as arthritis, Lyme disease, clotted veins, and general muscle diseases can cause similar symptoms, so careful examination is crucial in ensuring the right treatment is received. In some ways, a CRPS diagnosis is a diagnosis of elimination, with the most distinguishing feature being a history of earlier injury to the affected area.
Healing the communication system between the body’s nerves and brain is no easy task. A combination of therapies is used to treat CRPS, but their effectiveness varies from person to person. Common treatments include rehabilitation therapy, psychotherapy, medications, nerve blocks, surgical sympathectomy, spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal drug pumps, hyperbaric oxygen, acupuncture, and chiropractic therapy.
Because CRPS/RSD is triggered by trauma, it is an injury often caused by another person’s negligence, such as car crashes, motorcycle accidents, workplace injuries, medical malpractice, and slips and falls. It is possible that the tissues damaged by the trauma sensitize neighboring nerves, triggering hyper-excitability of the injured person’s nervous system.
The complex regional pain syndrome lawyers at the Mann Law Firm know how to investigate these debilitating injuries, find the best CRPS experts and link the injury to the negligence of others. If you have been diagnosed with CRPS/RSD or believe you have this disease, you need an attorney who understands how serious the condition is and how expensive it can be to treat. Contact us immediately so we can help you assess your situation. We will work with you every step of the way. You may have valuable legal rights to compensation, and you need a Georgia CRPS lawyer that will be an advocate for you. Please call us at (478) 742-3381 or use this convenient online contact form for a free initial consultation to discuss your case.
Attorney David Mann
Before leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]
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