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Treatment of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Additional Treatments for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the motor cortex is being studied as a way of reducing the intensity of pain association with RSD for some patients. The results of a small randomized clinical trial involving 10 patients with RSD reported promising results with respect to reduced pain intensity in 7 of 10 patients who were treated with this technique.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy involves placing a patient into a special chamber called a hyperbaric chamber into which oxygen, under higher pressure than in the environment, is pumped. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is currently used to treat a variety of different conditions including decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, and certain types of soft-tissue infections. The results of a small clinical trial published in 2004 involving 37 patients reported that HBO therapy was an effective and well-tolerated treatment modality for decreasing pain and swelling and increasing the range of motion for patients with RSD.
