Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is characterized by a group of symptoms including pain (often
"burning" type), tenderness, and swelling of an extremity associated with
varying degrees of sweating, warmth and/or coolness, flushing,
discoloration, and shiny skin.
How RSD occurs is not known, but there are often triggering events.
Symptoms of RSD often occur in three stages: 1) acute, 2) dystrophic, and
3) atrophic.
Diagnosis of RSD is based on clinical findings, supported by radiological
tests.
Treatment of RSD is most effective in the earlier stages.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is a condition that features a group of typical symptoms, including pain (often "burning" type), tenderness, and swelling of an extremity associated with varying degrees of sweating, warmth and/or coolness, flushing, discoloration, and shiny skin. RSD is also referred to as
"complex regional pain syndrome," "the shoulder-hand syndrome," "causalgia," and "Sudeck's atrophy."
What causes reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)?
The exact mechanism of how RSD develops is poorly understood. The theories include irritation and abnormal excitation of nervous tissue, leading to abnormal impulses along nerves that affect blood vessels and skin. The involuntary nervous system, peripheral nerves, and brain seem to be involved.
A variety of events can trigger the RSD, including:
There is no associated or identified inciting event in one-third of individuals
with RSD. Fibromyalgia has been reported to coexist with RSD in some
people.
Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition in which high levels of nerve impulses are sent to an affected site is called complex regional
"Introduction to Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), also called reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, is a chronic pain condition in which high levels of nerve impulses are sent to an affected s"...
