Special Report: Managing RSD

Survey results paint a portrait of pain

Ask them about their pain and patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) paint a devastating portrait of the type of pain that keeps them lying flat on their backs far too much of the time and interferes with their quality of life. Here’s what a survey of more than 1,300 RSD patients, conducted by the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association of America in Haddonfield, NJ, revealed about the pain associated with RSD:

• More than 70% of respondents report suffering from "constant" pain.

• Roughly 17% of respondents report suffering from "nearly constant" pain.

• Seventy-four percent of respondents report having to stop daily activities "frequently" due to pain.

• Twenty-three percent of respondents report having to stop daily activities "occasionally" due to pain.

• More than 84% of respondents report that pain prevents them from sleeping.

• Eighty-six percent of respondents report that pain awakens them from sleep.

• More than 30% of respondents report that pain interferes with their marriage and family life "all of the time" and another 28.9% report that pain interferes with this area of their lives "most of the time."

• More than 35% of respondents report that pain interferes with social activities and friendships "all of the time" and another 30.5% report that pain interferes with this area of their lives "most of the time."

• Roughly 63% of respondents report that pain interferes with employment "all of the time" and another 18.2% report that pain interferes with this area of their lives "most of the time."

• Roughly 50% of respondents report that pain interferes with housework and chores "all of the time" and another 32.3% report that pain interferes with this area of their lives "most of the time."

• Forty-seven percent of respondents report that pain interferes with hobbies and recreation "all of the time" and 33% report that pain interferes with this area of their lives "most of the time."

• Thirty-three percent of respondents report that pain interferes with sexual activity "all of the time" and another 23.2% report that pain interferes with this area of their lives "most of the time."

When asked the effect of various positions or activities on their pain, respondents report the following:

• Roughly 47% report lying down decreases their pain and only 15.8% report that lying down increases their pain.

• Less than 3% report that standing decreases their pain and more than 70% report that standing increases their pain.

• Roughly 35% report that sitting decreases their pain and roughly 45% report that sitting increases their pain.

• Roughly 6% report that movement decreases their pain and more than 79% report that movement increases their pain.

• Roughly 7% report that exercise decreases their pain and more than 85% report that exercise increases their pain.

• Less than 5% report that work decreases their pain and 79% report that work increases their pain.

• Roughly 58% report that medicine decreases their pain, and another 39.9% report that medicine has no effect on their pain. Only 2.6% report that medicine decreases their pain.