[Sudeck's disease--its clinical picture and therapy]

Early diagnosis and medical as well as physical therapy are necessary to successfully treat reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Psychological support and guidance of the patient are also a must. Due to wide individual differences it is not possible to recommend any single therapy as the sole treatment. The choice of treatment must be selected not only according to disease stages but also taking the individual factors of each patient inter account. Therefore, therapy must often be modified during the course of treatment. As a result a favorable out-course can be expected in most cases. Today severe physical disabilities secondary to sympathetic reflex dystrophy is quite rarely encountered.