Please join the Unstoppable Frankie Picasso this week, Tuesday, March 16th at 8:00 pm est, www.blogtalkradio.com/missionunstoppable for another Mission Unstoppable with this week's guest, RSD Coach Marla Martindale.

Coach Marla as she is known to her beloved listeners and following is the first known RSD or Reflex Sympathetic Disorder Coach in the World.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition.  The key symptom of CRPS is continuous, intense pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury, which gets worse rather than better over time. CRPS most often affects one of the arms, legs, hands, or feet.  Often the pain spreads to include the entire arm or leg.  Typical features include dramatic changes in the color and temperature of the skin over the affected limb or body part, accompanied by intense burning pain, skin sensitivity, sweating, and swelling.  Doctors aren’t sure what causes CRPS.  In some cases the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in sustaining the pain.  Another theory is that CRPS is caused by a triggering of the immune response, which leads to the characteristic inflammatory symptoms of redness, warmth, and swelling in the affected area. 

There is no known cure for this disease and according to Marla, it can be triggered by a many external factors such as Surgery, Injury or trauman, shoulder problems, heart disease, giving blood, cancer, getting or giving blood and many more.

Marla contracted hers as a result of a bad break to her ankle. It started off as as a  deep purple appendage followed by increasing pain, all within hours of having her cast removed.

Today, Marla not only suffers with the Effects of RSD, but she also had Fibromyalgia,Osteoporosis and Multiple Sclerosis thrown into the mix.

Come and meet this courageous and funny lady!!!!

How do you get RSD/CRPS?

• a soft tissue injury due to minor trauma in 65% of cases e.g. sprain, twisted ankle etc.
• fracture
• surgery
• certain cervical spine or spinal cord disorders
• infections, stroke, heart attack, repetitive motion disorder, or cumulative trauma e.g.. carpal tunnel.
• certain medications or venipuncture in rare cases

What are the symptoms?

• PAIN usually burning, severe, constant and in an area other than the primary injury site
• SWELLING usually localized but can involve entire limb
• SKIN CHANGES: TEMPERATURE or COLOUR: ie. dystrophy, dryness, tissue atrophy e.g.. can be cool, pallid or mottled; or warm, red with increased sweating.
• LIMITED AROM (active range of motion) in the affected part
• INCREASE OF ABOVE COMPLAINTS after exercise

What other symptoms are there?

• motor dysfunction e.g. tremor, weakness, dystonia, spasms
• dystrophy e.g. muscle wasting
• limbic system dysfunction e.g.. insomnia, agitation, anxiety, depression, poor memory or judgment
• hair and nail changes
• bone changes e.g.. osteoporosis
• joint tenderness and swelling