Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Treating Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy with Medical Marijuana
What is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy?
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, or RSD, is a disorder that tends to appear following a heart attack, injury, or stroke and causes significant and enduring pain in the patient’s arms or legs. Unfortunately, according to WebMD, the pain of this condition is often worse than the initial injury or episode. Furthermore, the sympathetic nervous system controls blood flow movement which, in turn, regulates your blood pressure and heart rate. Patients with RSD have a nervous system that gets conflicting signals, which means your body reacts to the initial injury and the pain sensors never turn off as they should. The resulting pain is significant and lasting. RSD is not common in children and typically appears in adults between the ages of 30 and 60. While RSD is often prompted from an injury such as a fracture, burns, cuts, amputation, etc., the condition is not always associated with a previous injury or ailment.
Reflex Sympathetic Dytrophy is also commonly referred to as Type I CRPS, which stands for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
Symptoms of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Symptoms of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy can include, but are not limited to:
- Burning pain
- Aching pain
- Deep pain
- Throbbing pain
- Lasting pain
- Swelling
- Redness
- Joint Stiffness
- Limited mobility of injured area
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle spasms
- Excessive sweating
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and Medical Marijuana
In addition to treating the direct symptoms of RSD, medical marijuana has shown to be tremendously beneficial in relieving the sleep troubles, anxiety, depression, and stress brought on by the disease. In addition to these psychiatric benefits, the antiinflammatory properties of cannabis offer significant relief for the pain associated with RSD. Many patients have relied on pharmaceuticals to treat RSD, however these carry risks that are not associated with medical cannabis, such as damage to the kidneys, liver, and stomach.
Medical Marijuana offers tremendous benefits to the patients suffering from RSD, including relief of nerve pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, stiff joints, and numerous psychological side effects. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with RSD, contact a medical marijuana doctor today.
Side Effects of Cannabis for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Side effects of marijuana use can include changes in:
- Sleep
- Fatigue
- Memory
- Appetite
- Mood
- Reaction Time
- Paranoia
Medical Marijuana Doctor Near Me
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy in Florida and are interested in how medical marijuana may be able to help you, take our qualification survey and schedule an appointment today!
