by R.S.
(Syracuse, NY)
Question from a reader: Does Acupuncture Help with RSD? I hurt my leg roller skating last summer. My doctor said I have RSD. I tried physical therapy and injections from the doctor. Nothing seems to help. Can acupuncture help this? I’m in a lot of pain.
Answer: I recently treated two patients with RSD and can say that acupuncture provided significant relief for both of them.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is a chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology. It is often treated with physical therapy, injections of cortisone, nerve blocks and anti-depressants. Unfortunately, none of these are terribly effective. I suspect that the earlier you get treated with acupuncture, the better the results will be, as with all neurological complaints.
In a search of PubMed I didn’t find any major studies of acupuncture for RSD. But there are a number of positive smaller studies, and when they are combined with studies of related disorders such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, acupuncture looks like it could be an effective treatment option. Click here to post comments Join in and write your own page! It’s easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask the Acupuncturist!.
