Sympathetic Wrist Pain
Sympathetic wrist pain occurs after an injury in the arm or other part of the body. Pain and even redness can occur in the wrist, ankle or other area of the body long after the original injury has healed. This type of pain is called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and sometimes occurs when there has been deep trauma to the limb affected. Doctors may also refer to this type of trauma as Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. Doctors and scientists suggest that because of prolonged redness and swelling, the person's nervous system is probably also affected.
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Considerations
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To date, sympathetic wrist pain has been extremely difficult to treat, and its long-term prognosis has been bleak for chronic sufferers, as the prolonged inflammation, pain, and swelling can be persistent and debilitating. The Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Journal reported that many sufferers of conditions such as sympathetic wrist pain may be unsuccessful in finding a course of treatment that solves their issues of chronic swelling and joint pain.
Effects
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Scientists are beginning to study the mechanism of what causes sympathetic wrist pain and other occurrences of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, and they have found that the same chemicals involved in the local inflammatory response may be involved, such as Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide, which opens, or expands blood vessels, and Interleukin 12, which is involved in the working and differentiation of the T-cells, which are cells of the immune system. Interleukin has been known to worsen inflammatory response in those suffering from illnesses where the immune system is so reactive that it starts to attack the body.
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Needle stimulation therapies
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Acupuncture and spinal cord stimulation have been reported as ways of reducing pain in those suffering from conditions like sympathetic wrist pain. For example, a study in the English journal Health Technology Assessment showed that spinal-cord stimulation was effective in cases of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
In stroke patients, stiffened joints because of immobility may lead to Reflex Sympathetic Distrophy. Interestingly, a study on the use of acupuncture in these patients showed that the use of needles on the working side of the body was more effective than the use of needles on the side of the body suffering from pain and inflammation. These results were reported in the Chinese Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.
Anesthesia
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Blocking of the sympathetic nerve response in patients with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy after sports injury was shown as an effective method of pain reduction and healing, in the journal Sportverletz Sportschaden. The drug used in this study is Carbostesin, which was injected directly into the area of the spinal cord where the affected nerves travel to the brain. This drug is routinely used in clinical settings to reduce local incision pain after surgery.
Lymphatic Massage
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Stimulation of the lymphatic system by use of self-massage in the affected area was shown to be helpful in those afflicted by Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Although there was no statistical difference in swelling in the long term, the study suggested that self-performed lymphatic massage could be a useful part of treatment for those suffering from this illness.
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