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If you are suffering from RSD following a trucking accident, you are most likely in serious pain and need to understand this condition so that you can collect all the compensation you may be entitled to.
There are typically three stages of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), including:
- Stage one – This stage is called the acute stage and typically lasts for up to three months. During this time, you may experience burning pain, muscle spasms, stiffness, tenderness, sensitivity to touch, warmth or coolness, edema, and an increase in pain.
- Stage two – This stage is called the dystrophic stage of RSD, which picks up from the acute stage and is generally the period between three and six months from the onset of the injury. Most of the first stage symptoms are still present, but the pain has likely increased and is now constant. The affected arm or leg may be discolored, the muscle might be wasting away, and X-rays may indicate osteoporosis. Additionally, you may suffer from speech difficulties, short-term memory loss, and trouble concentrating.
- Stage three – This stage is called the atrophic stage, which can last a great length of time. Some people have endured RSD for over several years. If you have this condition for over three years, the pain will most likely remain. Unfortunately, the symptoms you felt in the first and second stage are still present, and you may even experience a loss of limb function. Sadly, the pain may grow worse and may even spread to other parts of your body. At this stage, irreversible tissue damage occurs, and most of the pain signals are originating in the brain and not from the original injury site.
If you are in pain and unable to work due to your truck accident-related nerve injury, you may be entitled to the maximum compensation possible in your case. To learn more about your rights, please order a free copy of our book, What You Need to Know After a Florida Auto, Truck, or Bike Accident. You can request a free copy of our book on our website.