While many diseases are visible from the outside, RSD is something that you carry internally, and people often aren’t educated enough to understand the suffering you’re going through.

Thankfully, despite the lack of a cure for this terrible disease, advancements in technology have allowed for certain treatments to dramatically reduce its effects on your body. People suffering from RSD can live a long, happy, healthy life without being a slave to their disease. Here is a quick overview of some causes and symptoms of the disease, as well as some RSD treatment options:

What is RSD? Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is a condition that causes internal pain, tenderness, and swelling of an extremity. It is associated with varying degrees of sweating, extreme heat/cold, flushing, and discoloration of the skin. It has long been a subject of vexing interest from those in the medical field as no cure is on the horizon and treatment for RSD is often debated.

Causes and symptoms. Like many other things surrounding RSD, the exact causes of many cases can never be determined. Physicians believe that it involves irritation of nervous tissue, leading to abnormal impulses along nerves that affect blood vessels and skin. However, it is known that trauma to the extremities is a major factor in the development of RSD. Short-term symptoms of RSD include burning, sweating skin, while long-term symptoms could include loss of motion in the hands or feet.

Treatment for RSD. While physicians used to think that a combination of diet, exercise, physical therapy, and medication was the best treatment for RSD, a new form of treatment is gaining major support in the medical community. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, is an FDA-approved treatment that has proven to be a viable option in fighting the effects of RSD. HBOT is the medical use of oxygen at a higher level than atmospheric pressure, which rebuilds body tissue and improves your quality of life.

Take solace in knowing that there has been major strides in treatment for RSD that enable you to limit side-effects and live a normal life. Do a little research on hyperbaric oxygen therapy on your own and see if it’s something you’d be willing to try.