Is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome a disease or disability?

I would classify RSD as a syndrome that in some cases causes disability. A syndrome is defined as a set of symptoms (what the patient reports feeling) and signs (what the doctor can notice).

Many people also call it a disease, and I tend to agree with that. The only problem terming it as such is that nobody yet knows what the exact pathophysiology of the condition is. Dictionary.com defines disease:

"1. a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment."

We know that, for some reason, the nervous system is "disordered" or "incorrectly functioning" in RSD/CRPS. What we don't yet know is exactly why. Someday, it may even turn out that RSD has different causes in different people. This makes sense, given responses of some people and not others to certain treatments.

Example: The classical explanation for RSD is that it is a malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system (hence the name). Some patients respond wonderfully to sympathetic nerve blocks (injections that numb the sympathetic nerve chain in a certain area of the body). Others don't respond to sympathetic blocks at all, yet still have all of the symptoms of RSD. It's possible that the same symptoms are caused by different malfunctions in the body. Right now, nobody really knows!

Although the symptoms of RSD/CRPS may be very debilitating and disabling, many people recover with treatment, especially if treatment is started quickly after onset of RSD. Others who aren't so lucky may become disabled, some severely so.

I've had RSD for over 12 years, and I don't consider myself "disabled" per se. There are some things I can't do, like go mountain climbing or run a marathon. But I do basically everything that most other people do.

Not at frist ,but then if you dont cathc itit will cripple you to a drege that you feel so bad and pain that is unbearable. this is what i am going threw after 4 years and just finding out ihave rsd Report It

Neither. It's a severely disabling condition. Make certain that you get a referral to a chronic pain clinic.

This is the definition.
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&defl=e...

Here's a site from the U.S. government regarding this.
http://www.chronic-pain-rabinsslaw.com/C...