Thermal self-regulation for pain control in reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome is comprised of a variety of changes in vasomotor and trophic responsivity, as well as, stiffness, edema and severe pain. This study examined 20 patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome who had failed to respond to a variety of techniques commonly used to treat this disorder. These patients had documented histories of reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome ranging from 18 to 60 months. All had been referred for psychological evaluation and provision of pain management. A combination of thermal biofeedback, relaxation training, and supportive psychotherapy were used to reduce subjective pain. The results indicate that patients were able to significantly increase their initial (p less than 0.0001) and postrelaxation (p less than 0.0001) hand temperatures, as well as to significantly reduce their subjective pain ratings (p less than 0.0001). This reduction in pain was maintained at 1-year telephone follow-up, with 14 of the 20 patients returning to work by that time. This intervention was effective as a pain reduction strategy for our patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome who had failed to benefit from other treatments.