Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA)

08/13/2025

Warrior Andi Kohler recently opened up about her journey over on the RSDSA blog.

How many of you can relate to Andi’s story?

Always be your own advocate, especially within the medical system. Fight until you find a team of doctors that will listen to you, support you and research for you.

08/06/2025

Urgent: Please Urge Congress to Protect Pain Research

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are working on the FY2026 budget bills now. The President has proposed a 40% cut to NIH's budget.

Pain research at the NIH has long had a tiny budget relative to other diseases and conditions with lesser burdens affecting lesser numbers of Americans. But all that changed dramatically in 2018 when it was clear that the lack of effective treatments for pain had meant relying on opioids for pain management.

As a result, Congress increased the overall funding of pain research across the NIH and started the HEAL (The Helping to End Addiction Long-term®) Initiative. A little less than half of the HEAL funding goes to pain research and the other half to Substance Use Disorders (SUD) research.

Since 2018, great progress has been made in conducting research to better understand pain, determine the best way to make appropriate use of the treatments we have and find new treatments.

Now is not the time to stop that funding, just when we are beginning to see the fruits of that investment emerge. Please use your voice to tell Congress to protect the NIH Pain Research budget and the HEAL Initiative.

The US Pain Foundation has a simple online form you can use to send a message to your congressional representatives. ↓

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are working on the FY2026 budget bills now.  The President has proposed a 40% cut to NIH's budget.  Pain research at the NIH has long had a tiny budget relative to other diseases and...

08/04/2025

Please help a member of the community with the following question:

Does anyone with CRPS have a DRG stimulator but has also gone back and had a sympathetic block at the same place?

(If you’re interested, additional details are below in the comments ↓)

07/31/2025

Attention New Jersey Warriors! 🧡📢 D-Shee by the Sea - Walk & Stroll to Support CRPS Awareness is happening Sunday, September 14th!

Warrior Daniel Sheehan (D-Shee) was diagnosed with CRPS in June 2020. He is now partnering with RSDSA to help raise awareness, support groundbreaking research, and ensure that others facing this illness don’t feel alone, dismissed, or hopeless.

If you are in the northeast, join us on the Ocean City, NJ Boardwalk on 9/14 for a walk and stroll with fellow Warriors and members of the community.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/40JEDbs

07/28/2025

Thank you to everyone who helped support the 2025 Pediatric Pain Week! 🧡

These fabulous TCAPP Families joined us at Great Wolf Lodge in Connecticut for our 2025 Adventure! It was awesome seeing our old friends and making new friends!! We made lots of wonderful memories and will be talking about them for a long time. 💜💜

If you look closely you will see our TCAPP Kids holding onto their SendAFriend animals donated to TCAPP from SendAFriend. These Friends are amazing and our TCAPP Kids were so surprised, excited and happy to receive them. A huge thank you to SendAFriend for loving our TCAPP Kids and for donating these adorable animals.

07/25/2025

Please help a member of the community with the following question:

"Has anyone taken doxycycline for a few days and seen an increase in their symptoms (especially burning)?

I don’t know if it was related to the doxycycline or it was solely due to CRPS."

07/22/2025

Many D.O.s say that caring for communities that have been historically neglected by the medical establishment is a central part of the osteopathic philosophy.

The number of osteopathic doctors has increased dramatically. People still don’t know what they are.

07/21/2025

Join us in “THREE DAYS” at the Red Robin Gourmet Burgers on Wednesday, 7/23 from 11 AM to 10 PM! 20% of all food sales will go to the non-profit Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA)! Let’s raise some awareness for CRPS and funds for a great cause! Please share with your friends and family! The Orange County CRPS Support Survivors and Caregivers Support Group will be there from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. This is a great time to come and mingle with others that have CRPS!

07/17/2025

We're officially 100 days away from our Treating the Whole Person: Optimizing Wellness Conference!

Grab your early bird tickets before July 25th. ↓

RSDSA’s Treating the Whole Person: Optimizing Wellness conference is back for CRPS Warriors, caregivers, and professionals who support CRPS Warriors!

07/14/2025

Please help the community with following question and provide resources if you've been in the same situation:

I have had CRPS for 30 years with most of my pain occurring in my left foot. I had carpal tunnel surgery over three weeks ago and I'm still in a flare-up.

This is highly unusual as my other four flare-ups over the years occurred within 48 to 72 hours of the surgery and then subsided.

Has anyone else experienced an episode that occurred this long after surgery? What helped you calm the flare?

07/11/2025

Don't forget! RSDSA would like to hear from the CRPS community so we can better understand the best ways to support you moving forward.

Please take a moment to fill out our short survey at your earliest convenience and feel free to share it with other CRPS Warriors.

Thank you for taking RSDSA’s short survey so we can ensure we understand the best ways to serve our community moving forward.