PPT Slide
Physical Therapy Treatment of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Erin Williams
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is a painful and often debilitating condition with symptoms of pain, swelling, decreased function and trophic changes. Though it was first described in the 1800’s, research has failed to identify its exact pathogenesis. Studies have shown however that early recognition and treatment are crucial for successful RSD management. Physical therapy is often a cornerstone of RSD management. The purpose of this literature review is to describe the various physical therapy treatment methods used to treat patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy and to evaluate their effectiveness.
Many different therapeutic methods, including electrotherapeutic modalities, active and passive range of motion and massage, are currently used by clinicians to treat patients with RSD. However, studies investigating the effectiveness of these interventions often involved single case studies or study designs that were not reproducible. While many patients did experience relief of symptoms with various physical therapy treatments, the literature available at this time does not identify a program able to relieve all symptoms in all patients consistently.
As physical therapists are becoming more successful in the early recognition of reflex sympathetic dystrophy, more controlled studies with larger sample sizes need to be performed to determine the best physical therapy methods to treat patients with RSD.