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Chronic pain slithers up and latches on to its victims without warning and without prejudice. In many cases, medical professionals can identify its cause, even if they are not so able to effect a cure. However, in many cases, search as one may, the pain exists without cause, a malfunction in the actual nervous system where wayward nerves send cruel and tortuous signals to the brain. The most common condition to fit such a criteria is RSD, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

RSD was first noted and studied during the American Civil War, where doctors noticed that soldiers seemed to develop pain that far exceeded the nature of their injuries. It was given the name Causalgea at that time and the phenomenon was studied.
Today we know that RSD seems to occur when a nerve experiences some level of trauma, perhaps even seemingly benign, In the early stages the victim feels abnormal pain and/or odd sensations. When limbs are effected, they tend to drop the body temperature by one or more degrees from the other limb.
RSD is active and hungry -eager to consume as much of the body as possible. Since feet and hands frequently are subjected to small injuries, they too often play as the starting gate for RSD. Then it moves upward through the limb to infect the whole appendage, in a short time, if not treated immediately, entire arms or legs are lost to disabling pain. And once one limb is consumed, the body's natural instinct turns upon itself.
The human body has an instinctual need for symmetry. It is theorized that this symmetric need may be the culprit which allows RSD to jump and fester the opposite limb. In fact, too frequently, RSD jumps and moves with such tenacity that it consumes the entire body.
But what does RSD do?
RSD is pain without reason. It tortures those who develop it most frequently with a burning sensation-the kind of burn where your clothes may be on fire or an iron blistering your skin. The skin itself always feels painfully raw, as though the epidermis were sanded away and the very softest touch causes an explosion of fiery torture. A soft shower feels like being beaten with flaming hail stones. Clothes brushing across the skin brings tears of pain. A gentle breeze hits like a snapping whip.
Atrophy, the greatest enemy of RSD. then creeps up, eating away the wasting muscles from a victim too afraid to use them. The atrophy feeds on the skin, muscle and bone and effects the circulatory system.
Actually, few people seem to understand that RSD is a

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