RSD Update: When Pain Killers Don’t Work, Many Sufferers Turn to Pricey, Invasive Alternatives.

HBOT Brings Gentle Pain Relief for Less Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy patients struggle with a way to cope with daily pain that can literally be
life-changing. Doctors usually begin by prescribing addictive pain meds. Even then, those with RSD frequently can’t get lasting relief. They end up in a vicious cycle of pain that leaves them feeling discouraged and depressed. When traditional narcotics don’t work, RSD patients get stellate ganglion or sympathetic blocks – injections to treat localized pain. A small number of RSD patients respond well to these quickly, but others will require the expensive shots weekly or monthly for the rest of their lives.

If RSD pain fails to respond to these sympathetic blocks, doctors refer the patient for morphine pump implants or spinal stimulators which cost $70,000 to implant, and require ongoing monitoring so that doctors can make necessary adjustments. But a hyperbaric chamber provides a far less expensive and more effective pain solution for those who suffer with RSD, and often enables them to end reliance on shots and pain meds entirely.

Wondering if a hyperbaric chamber could successfully heal your RSD/CRPS pain? To schedule an assessment at our Palm Harbor, Florida, Center, click here now or call 727-787-7077.

RSD Treatment in a Hyperbaric Chamber… A Cost Effective Way to Lasting Pain Relief

Doctors frequently tout the successes of invasive and expensive treatments for RSD. But if these are so effective, why do RSD/CPRS sufferers need as many as 50-200 sympathetic blocks, and why do morphine pumps and spinal stimulators so often fail to control RSD pain? Worse, when spine implants cause paralysis, who is to blame? Talk about a lawyers’ field day! No wonder so many RSD patients hesitate to try these expensive and invasive pain solutions and seek out more natural options to manage their symptoms. The truth is while non-surgical, drug free treatments work out for a few RSD patients, only one natural treatment provides lasting pain relief for many of those who try it…a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber.

Our Palm Harbor, Florida Center’s number one goal with RSD treatment is to relieve pain and other physical symptoms. Often, our RSD patients report that after their first few sessions in the chamber they enjoy a good night’s sleep for the first time in years. They require less medication to function, their brain fog abates, and their mood gets better. The inflammation in their legs and arms goes down, and, in combination with physical therapy, their muscles begin gaining their strength back. Many of our RSD patients are even able to return to prior occupations. The treatment is clearly life changing. But how does a hyperbaric chamber actually work…?

During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a patient lies in a state-of-the-art clear, sealed chamber where he or she breathes in pure oxygen at higher than normal air pressures. As they relax in the chamber, the patient’s bloodstream, tissues and bodily fluids become saturated with 10 to 20 times the O2 they would normally receive. Treatment in a hyperbaric chamber improves circulation, reduces bodily and tissue inflammation, and brings down swelling in afflicted limbs. Vital nutrients are finally able to reach areas previously starved for oxygen. New tissues and blood vessels begin to grow in place of those that suffered damage. In addition, to eliminate the disease, HBOT therapy works on the brain. In reflex sympathetic dystrophy, sensors in the sympathetic nervous system are what register the pain. One example of this is the phantom leg pain that those who have lost a limb continue to feel. HBOT is able to switch this brain-induced pain back to the central nervous system, where it will no longer be felt. Pain improves, and the body begins to naturally heal itself.

But Is This Kind of Effective RSD Treatment Expensive?

If you are wondering whether insurance covers the cost of treating RSD with hyperbaric oxygen chambers, the answer is, unfortunately not. The FDA has approved HBOT treatment for 14 limited medical conditions, and RSD is not among these. Licensed Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment organizations like ours continue to press the FDA for approval. We are hopeful that they will follow the lead of European governmental organizations who have approved HBOT for many conditions including RSD, due to the treatments’ documented success. But when you consider the expense of failed treatments, surgeries and lost wages, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is surprisingly cost effective. And we are always happy to discuss financial alternatives that can help to keep payments affordable.