Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

The pain management program at UT Southwestern Medical Center offers expert, compassionate care for patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), also known as complex regional pain syndrome. Our program provides patients with an accurate diagnosis and effective treatments for RSD, including analgesic, antidepressant and corticosteroid medications, effective physical therapy treatments, behavioral therapy, and minimally invasive procedures such as intrathecal drug pump therapy, spinal cord stimulation and sympathetic nerve blocks.

UT Southwestern is one of the few pain management centers in Texas with on-site pain specialists, behavioral medicine specialists and physical therapists. Our program uses therapies derived from the latest scientific advances in pain management and our specialists utilize the least-invasive procedures available to diagnose and treat patients with RSD.

At UT Southwestern, our specialists are experts at providing comprehensive treatments for patients with RSD, including:

• Intrathecal pump therapy, in which a pump and catheter (thin tube) are implanted in the patient's abdominal area and the system is used to deliver medication directly to the spinal fluid.
  
  
• Spinal cord stimulation, in which a device is implanted under the skin and sends mild electrical currents to the spinal cord. Patients experience a dramatic reduction in their pain.
  
  
• Sympathetic nerve root blocks, in which anesthetic agents are injected around the affected sympathetic nerves to provide pain relief as well as assess damage to the sympathetic nervous system.

UT Southwestern’s comprehensive medical resources enable patients to have an initial consultation, testing, follow-up visits and any needed medical procedures all in one location.