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Note: The answers given here are for the purpose of providing general information regarding spine treatment. They are not intended to replace evaluation and treatment by your physician. If you have questions regarding your specific spine condition, we advise you to see a physician.

If you’re having trouble with the terminology, check the glossary.

Subject: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Complex Regional Pa

Question: Hello. I ama 43 year old active woman who has had a severe lifestyle change since I received a blow to my spine from a wind blown door with a handicapped handle. I had an anterior/posterior two-level fusion with instrumentation 6 years ago. I had healed from the fusion but had off and on muscle soreness and tightness. Five years after the fusion, the wind blown door slammed me into the door jam and the handle hit me right at the surgery site. The minute I tried to walk I had instant leg pain. The pain continued to increase to a debilitating level.

Several months later a physiatrist diagnosed me with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Besides the chronic back and leg pain, I have an objective finding of an ice cold foot. We have tried several epidural catheter injections. The injections worked short term, but the pain has returned. I am desperate for answers to my pain and would really appreciate some input from your facility.

Thank you.

Answer: We rarely use the term 'reflex sympathetic dystrophy' any longer. It is now called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. There are multiple web sites devoted to this problem.

There are medications that can be very helpful: Neurontin, Topamax. Spinal cord stimulation helps many people as well.

You may do well to see a doctor who specializes in pain medicine and would know about these up-to-date treatments.

We do re-evaluations and treatment. We would try and make sure that the diagnosis is correct and there is not another problem such as a sacro-iliac joint problem, pseudarthrosis (fusion failure), disc problem above the fusion, etc.

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