Election

You’re a member of the working class, and you’re voting for …………?!

Evidence of the Class Divide

I don’t get it.  According to the polls, apparently, about 47-49% of you, perhaps even over 50%,  will be voting for leaders from a political “party” whose underlying philosophy and interests stand so squarely against yours as a working-class American that you ought to be in the streets, on the picket lines, and storming corporate boardrooms over your current predicament.  Not voting these people into office! 

Why are 47-50% of you who work longer and harder than ever, own less than you did before, and have less opportunity to prosper – even considering empowering this cult’s agenda by putting them in office?

The new Republican Party – dramatically transformed from the relatively moderate one I grew up with in the 50s and 60s — can frankly be characterized as more of a political “cult” than a political party that seeks to govern responsibly.  The overarching view of the new party, in the words of Grover Norquist you may have heard, is to “shrink government down to the size it can be dragged into the bathtub and drowned.”   There may be leaders within the new Republican cult who are, individually, somewhat more moderate than the party’s current platform and philosophy, but in my view no working class citizen should be voting for any Republican who generally embraces the current Republican Party’s ideology about the role of government.  And with rare exceptions, that’s all of them, either because they truly believe the nonsense they spout, or they are afraid to buck the Tea Party zealots who advance the cult’s philosophy and goals.

This new cult has fraudulently invested more power in corporate “personhood” than you will ever have as an actual “person.”  Over the past 30+ years it has been responsible for the fact that in constant dollars the wages you now earn are about the same, or maybe slightly higher, than they were in the 1970s; and it has enabled a historic and dramatic shift in the ownership of wealth in this nation away from the working class, such that the top 1% now own 50% of the nation’s treasure.  You have to go back before the Great Depression to find such inequality of wealth, and the accompanying inequality of opportunity.

This cult’s operational scheme over 30+ years has been to shrink the power and resources of the government (except for the military) that enable it to provide programs that serve you and protect your rights and opportunities.  It mostly started with the actor Ronald Reagan who charmed millions into thinking that government “just didn’t work” for people (and it sure didn’t with that chucklehead – if you’re younger than 35 and not a history student, just about everything you “know” about Reagan is wrong, the product of right-wing historical revisionism over the past twenty years or so.)  From that point on, the wealthy and corporate elites gradually manipulated our taxation system from the fair and equitable one it had been for the prior 25 years or so, resulting in drastic reductions in the contribution of corporations and the financial elites to the operation of government, while they simultaneously worked to erode statutory and regulatory protections against another meltdown of our economy.

From your standpoint, the other huge change in the workforce engendered by this cult has been the near total destruction of private sector unionism.  Following World War II, and into the 60s and 70s, a unionized workforce was the bulwark of the middle class, ensuring that a fair percentage of wealth ownership, and the ability to consume the products we were manufacturing, remained with workers.  When I started practicing workers’ compensation and other disability law in 1977, about 33-35% of the workforce was unionized.  Today, in the private sector that number is around 8%.  Other factors, such as the globalization of the economy, have contributed to this development, but make no mistake – it has mostly been driven by the increased power of corporate America to kill unionism, an essential component of the Republican cult’s philosophy.  (Point of irony – who said: “When free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost”?  Answer:  Ronald Reagan, 1980.  He then gutted the air traffic controllers’ union in 1981.)

Following World War II, and into the 60s and 70s, a unionized workforce was the bulwark of the middle class, ensuring that a fair percentage of wealth ownership, and the ability to consume the products we were manufacturing, remained with workers.

With wages stagnant substantially as a result of 30 years of anti-unionism, and with the shrunken wealth of the middle class, an economy like ours, hugely dependent on consumption by the working class, falters.  The loss of power of the working class, together with the aftermath of our economic meltdown in 2008 – the direct product of the Republican cult’s evisceration of banking and financial regulations over the years – and the failure of the exalted “job creators,” sitting on trillions of cash, to create jobs, all have converged to create a vicious economic cycle from which it will be difficult to emerge for some time.

So who has the best chance to get us –albeit slowly – out of this mess?  What part of the Republican cult’s philosophy of government do you see leading to a brighter future for your economic and other interests?  (So far, I haven’t even mentioned the Republican cult of “privatization” of traditional governmental functions which has us all enriching corporations with no-bid contracts that statistically end up costing your government more for often sub-standard work than would have cost the government to employ people directly to do this work.) Please tell me exactly what part of the Republican cult’s agenda for our economy you really believe will work for you and not exclusively for the very tip-top of this country’s financial elite?  Do you still really believe the cult’s “trickle-down” theory of our economy:  protect corporations and the financial elites that run them from government “interference” and all good things will flow down to float the boat of the working middle class?  How’s that worked out for you so far?  (We’ll leave out of this discussion for now social issues, e.g. women’s reproductive rights, civil rights, climate change, and foreign policy, of which the current R’s have none except occasionally to bluster about starting another war.)

And when you think about how – somehow – the Republican economic agenda is really going to work for your interests, consider another aspect of how a Republican administration would impact the power of the working class:  THE       … SUPREME… COURT… (and the rest of the federal judiciary).   We’re one vacancy away — filled with another Scalia, Alito or Roberts — from the Republican cult running the table on the power of corporate America versus everyone else.  The absurd decision in the Citizens United case, which has opened the floodgates of political money from the corporate elites for the purchase of elections, and ultimately our democracy, will seem mild in comparison to what could be in store with another ultraconservative justice on the Court.

So, as I said at the beginning, I don’t get it – why are 47-50% of you who work longer and harder than ever, own less than you did before, and have less opportunity to prosper – even considering empowering this cult’s agenda by putting them in office?  It’s happened over and over in the past couple of decades – huge swaths of the American working class entranced by the Republican siren song.  How do you see going down that road again changing your prospects?  Some sage once said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result…”

 

 

        Photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/practicalowl/1442808697/”>practicalowl</a> / <a href=”http://foter.com”>Foter</a> / <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>CC BY-NC</a>

Workers Compensation

Aging “Baby Boomers” and Workers’ Compensation Part 2

Today’s post comes from guest author Tom Domer from The Domer Law Firm. Earlier this month, Mr. Domer was honored by the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG) with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his career representing injured workers.

Last week, we started talking about some of the NCCI’s interesting conclusions about the implications of “Baby Boomers” in the workplace (see Part 1 of this article). In today’s post, we discuss these conclusions in more detail. The frequency of injury has steadily declined since the mid-1990s, with age group differences in frequency largely eliminated.  The decline in frequency has occurred for all age groups.  The differences among age groups in the early 1990s had almost completely disappeared by 2010.

A longstanding worker’s compensation maxim that “younger workers have much higher injury rates” is no longer true.  For example: the injury rate for workers age 55-64 was 16% lower than the frequency for all workers in the mid-1990s but actually 1% higher in 2010, indicating that the differences have clearly narrowed.

Lastly, in terms of severity of claims, older workers certainly cost more, primarily due to higher wages and increased medical costs for older workers.  The severity of medical costs Continue reading Aging “Baby Boomers” and Workers’ Compensation Part 2 →

DLI, Medical

Meningitis and Stroke Associated with Epidural Steroid Injection Medications

Confirmed Cases of Infection – click for large map

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are coordinating a multi-state investigation of fungal meningitis among patients who received an epidural steroid injection. Several of these patients also suffered strokes that are believed to have resulted from their infection. Fungal meningitis is not transmitted from person to person. These cases are associated with a potentially contaminated medication. Investigation into the exact source is ongoing; however, interim data show that all infected patients received injection with preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (80mg/ml) prepared by New England Compounding Center, located in Framingham, MA.

As of October 23, 2012 the CDC reports 308 cases of fungal meningitis, stroke due to presumed fungal meningitis, or other central nervous system-related infections.  Death has occurred in 23 of these cases.

None of the reported fungal infection cases have occurred in Washington State.  This may become an issue within Washington’s workers’ compensation system, though, if any cases of infection arise from Washington clinics or if claimants that live out-of-state received an injection of the tainted product in other states.  Under Washington law, a workers’ compensation claim must cover any condition that arises from treatment provided for an industrial injury under an open workers’ compensation claim.  Similarly, if a claim has been closed but such an infection occurs in the course of treating an accepted condition, an application to reopen the claim based on a worsening could, in theory, be filed.

Patients who have had an epidural steroid injection since July 2012, and have any of the following symptoms, should talk to their doctor as soon as possible:

  • Worsening headache
  • Fever
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Stiff neck
  • New weakness or numbness in any part of your body
  • Slurred speech

 

Patients need to remain vigilant for onset of symptoms because fungal infections can be slow to develop.

 

Typically in this outbreak, symptoms have appeared 1 to 4 weeks following injection, but it’s important to know that longer and shorter periods of time between injection and onset ofsymptoms have been reported. Therefore, patients and physicians need to closely watch for symptoms for at least several months following the injection.

As of October 23, 2012 the CDC reports 308 cases of fungal meningitis, stroke due to presumed fungal meningitis, or other central nervous system-related infection meeting the outbreak case definition, plus 3 peripheral joint infections (e.g., knee, hip, shoulder, elbow). No deaths have been associated with peripheral joint infections.

The CDC’s guidance to patients has not changed as a result of the expanded voluntary recall of all NECC products, announced October 6. Patients who feel ill and are concerned about whether they received a medication from one of the NECC products recalled on September 26 should contact their physician.

 

Workers Compensation

Surprising Findings On Baby Boomers and Worker’s Compensation (part 1)

Today’s post comes from guest author Tom Domer from The Domer Law Firm. Earlier this month, Mr. Domer was honored by the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG) with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his career representing injured workers.

What is the impact on worker’s compensation from aging Baby Boomers who have postponed their retirement, working much longer than the previous generation? In a recent study by the NCCI (National Council Compensation Insurance) some interesting and surprising conclusions resulted. It is not surprising that the number of older workers is increasing. The study looked at the frequency and severity across age groups and tried to identify factors that accounted for the severity of injuries between older and younger workers.

Among the key findings are the following:

  • The major difference among age groups occurs between the 25-34 and the 35-44 age groups. All workers 35-64 appeared to have similar costs per worker. These reassuring findings suggest an aging workforce may have a less negative impact on the lost cost per worker than many analysts originally thought.
  • Many workers’ compensation professionals have the belief that younger workers have a much higher injury rate. That appears not to be true any longer. Differences in frequency by age have virtually disappeared.
  • The major factor involving older workers involves severity. Older workers tend to have more shoulder rotator cuff claims and knee injuries while younger workers have more back and ankle sprains.
  • Higher wages for older workers are a key factor leading to higher costs for older workers. On the medical side, more treatment per claim has increased medical costs.

The study indicated that older workers account for an increasing share of the U. S. workforce. In particular, the share of workers age 55-64 has been growing steadily. The number of workers Continue reading Surprising Findings On Baby Boomers and Worker’s Compensation (part 1) →

Uncategorized

Returning to Light-Duty Work – What, When, How & Why

Women making airplane wings, circa 1920. Seattle Municipal Archives

The Department of Labor and Industries encourages employers to offer light-duty positions to their injured workers – – the suggestion is written across the top of every time loss compensation order – – as early after an injury occurs as possible. The employer of an injured worker can offer shorter hours, a transitional job/job modifications or a new position entirely.  The pay scale can be at any rate at or above minimum wage. In order to qualify as a valid job offer, a description of the position must be approved by a physician. Once approved, the job must be offered, in writing, to the injured worker with specific details including the work schedule, rate of pay and person supervising the work.

If an injured worker declines a valid job offer, time loss compensation will end.

If an injured worker declines a valid job offer, time loss compensation will end. If the employer offers a return-to-work position that pays less than the workers’ time loss compensation rate, the worker will likely be eligible for partial compensation to make up the difference. This benefit, called Loss of Earning Power (LEP) compensation, is based on a comparison of the pre-injury wage less the actual wages earned through return to work and pays 80% of the difference, up to a state-wide cap on compensation or the time loss compensation rate, whichever is less.

The claim can remain open for medical treatment if the injured worker declines a valid job offer, but no further vocational assistance will be provided. However, if the injured worker is unable to return to work and vocational retraining has been approved, the employer has a brief window of only 15 days within which to offer the injured worker a valid, full-time job or the plan will commence. Once retraining has commenced, a job offer cannot be used to derail the retraining plan.

More and more employers are watching their claim costs closely; particularly those participating in the Retrospective Rating program (see earlier post about Retro Groups for more details). Early return to work saves the employer and the Department a significant portion of the cost of an injury claim and, in some cases, allows the injured worker to maintain their wage and benefits during their recovery.

You’ve Received a Job Offer – Now What?

You should receive a copy of the job description that has been approved by your physician along with the letter offering you a job. Review and keep this job description with you as you return to work, as well as any written physical restrictions from your doctor. While at work, make sure that you are only performing duties within your restrictions to avoid additional injury.

Stay in contact with your physician and notify them of any change in your symptoms right away. If you have an increase or change in symptoms but do not feel that you require medical attention, phone your doctor’s office and leave a message to advise of the activity that brought on the increase and the type of symptoms you are noticing. This will make its way into your chart and can be reviewed by your doctor to see a progression of symptoms if one should occur after you return to work, providing a basis for further restrictions on activity or job modifications.

Keep track of your pay stubs. If you are earning less in the transitional job, file an Application for LEP Compensation (link) and attach the pay stubs to document your earnings. The LEP application forms are usually filed once or twice per month and require your employer and physician to provide information, as well. Compensation is issued upon receipt of the application form so, unlike time loss compensation, you will not receive regularly-scheduled payments of LEP compensation.

DLI’s Stay-At-Work Program

The Department of Labor and Industries’ new Stay-At-Work program is a financial incentive that encourages employers to bring their injured workers quickly and safely back to light-duty or transitional work by reimbursing them for a portion of their costs. DLI will provide an employer of an injured worker reimbursement of 50% of the base wages paid to the injured worker for up to 66 weeks, up to $10,000.00 per claim.  The Department will also pay for some of the cost of training, tools or clothing the worker will need to do the light-duty or transitional work.

In a recent update, the Department released figures showing that it has paid reimbursements to over 1,200 employers in Washington State in the amount of $1.6 million

The purpose of the new incentive is to encourage more employers to return their injured workers to light-duty or transitional jobs with the doctor’s approval. This medical best practice can help the worker recover, and it also can reduce costs for the employer. The Department’s goal is to bring down costs and shorten the length of injury claims overall.

The Department provides the following video – one of three available – to outline this program:

In a recent update, the Department released figures showing that it has paid reimbursements to over 1,200 employers in Washington State in the amount of $1.6 million. The Department release fuels the concept that the program is working and that the goal of lowing workers’ compensation claim costs will be achieved but the release does not provide any data to track the results at this time.

Photo credit: Seattle Municipal Archives, Foter, Creative Commons

Workers' Compensation

DLI’s New Medical Provider Network – What You Need to Know

          Legislative “reforms” of the workers’ compensation system were approved by the Washington legislature in 2011, under Senate Bill 5801.  These reforms addressed physicians’ care of injured workers by establishing a Medical Provider Network (MPN) and expanding access to Centers for Occupational Health Education (COHE) within the Washington industrial insurance system.   COHEs are community-based organizations that use occupational health best practices to treat injured workers. There are four COHEs in Washington State – in Renton, Spokane, Everett and Seattle – that now treat about 1/3 of the injured workers in Washington State.  It is the goals of this expansion to have 50% of injured workers receive treatment through a COHE by the end of 2013.

          The Department of Labor and Industries provides this video to explain the COHE model:

<iframe width=”640″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/CI2B1tRqAGs?rel=0” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

We expect many workers to be placed in a bind in January if their longtime treating physicians have not yet taken steps to enroll in the Medical Provider Network.

 

          Effective January 1, 2013, all injured workers residing in Washington State will be required to obtain treatment from a provider who has filed the proper paperwork and been approved by L&I to be a member of the Medical Provider Network.  The following types of providers will be REQUIRED to be members in order to treat injured workers:  physicians, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians, podiatrists, ARNPs, physician assistants, dentists and optometrists.  Physical and Occupational therapists, initial office visits or emergency room visits, and all out-of-state providers, are excluded from this requirement. 

          The Department’s goal in establishing this Network is to establish standards for caregivers of injured workers that are similar to those used by most other health insurance companies across the nation.  The Department is also developing criteria for terminating providers from the network, as well as designating a “Top Tier” level that will provide incentives for Network providers who demonstrate “best practices”.  What the Department considers best practices is not defined, but presumably will include encouraging physicians to insure their patients are returned or released to work sooner rather than later.

            As of 8/14/12, the Department had enrolled 13,000 individual and group providers in Washington State into its Network.  This month, the Department will be forwarding notices to all injured workers who currently treat with providers that have not yet signed up to be a member of the new Network.  Workers will be asked to encourage their providers to file the paperwork necessary to join the Network so they will be allowed to continue to provide treatment to them. 

 

See if your doctor has been approved to participate in the new Medical Provider Network on the “Find a Doctor” page.

 

          The Department provides an updated listing of providers that are currently signed up with the Medical Provider Network on its “Find a Doctor” page.   If you do not see your medical provider on this list, you should discuss with your doctor their plans for enrolling as soon as possible. 

          We expect many workers to be placed in a bind in January if their longtime treating physicians have not yet taken steps to enroll in the Medical Provider Network.  If you discover your treatment provider does not intend to enroll in this required program, you will want to request a referral to another provider. 

          Feel free to contact Causey Law Firm for questions or concerns about requirements for transferring care and any other questions you have regarding the new Network.

Photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/dexxus/5791228117/”>paul bica</a> / <a href=”http://foter.com”>Foter</a> / <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>CC BY</a>

 

DLI

Application Deadline Extended for Safety and Health Investment Projects (SHIP) Grant Program

Australian Safety Alert

Washington workers, employers and other groups can participate in the SHIP Grant Program to improve workplace safety, with grants of up to $150,000.  I have spoken with many people over the years with tales of scary workplaces or, in many instances, workplaces that are only slightly unsafe – these are just as likely, if not more likely, to result in an injury than one where obvious mistakes are being made.  The news release from the Department of Labor and Industries at the end of this post sets out the workshop schedule for learning more about it’s program for preventing injuries. Follow the link, below, for full details about this program and the assistance available to grant seekers of many stripes working towards a common goal.

 

The 2011 Legislature gave statutory authority to place the SHIP grant program as a permanent program within the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the Department of Labor and Industries. Previously, the SHIP grant program had operated with budget provisos from 2007 – 2011. To date the program has funded 41 safety and health grant projects. The materials and products developed through completed grant projects are available through the SHIP Program and on the L&I/DOSH website. 

 

All proposals should be designed to develop and implement innovative and effective return-to-work programs for injured workers.

 

Grant limits and other criteria — the following criteria will apply to all SHIP grant applications:

  • Eligibility requirements for SHIP grants are listed on the application form and in WAC 296-900-175.
  • Grant requests for this round will not exceed $150,000.
  • Funding for grants approved during this cycle may occur beginning late fall 2012.
  • Successful applicants will be required to attend a grantee orientation to receive specific guidance and information about managing their SHIP grant experience.
  • Project duration for projects approved for this cycle should not exceed 12 months.
  • Products and materials developed or created through a SHIP grant must be available for distribution by SHIP to others who can benefit from them.

 

Learn how to apply for grant money from L&I at free workshop

Do you have an innovative idea for improving workplace safety and health or helping injured workers get back on the job? If so, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) would like to hear from you and may help fund your project.

 

In other words, L&I will give you money for your great idea!

 

A series of free one-hour workshops starting Oct. 2 will explain the basics of L&I’s Safety and Health Investment Projects (SHIP) Grant Program. The current grant cycle for Return-to-Work applications is open until further notice.

Workshops are currently planned for:

  • Olympia – 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 2, 805 Plum St. SE, 2nd Floor SHIP Conf. Room
  • Kennewick – 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 9, 4310 W. 24th Ave., Room C24
  • East Wenatchee – 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 10, 519 Grant Rd., Room C16
  • Mount Vernon – 10 to 11 a.m., Oct. 23, 525 E. College Way, Ste. H, Room C20
  • Tukwila – 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 24, 12806 Gateway Dr. S, Room C20
  • Tacoma – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 30, 950 Broadway, Ste. 200, Room 503
  • Vancouver – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 2, 312 SE Stonemill Dr., Ste 120, Room C49

To register, please visit www.Workshops.Lni.wa.gov or call 800-574-2829.

Workers

Washington’s Minimum Wage to Increase – The Highest of the 50 States

Washington’s minimum wage applies to workers in both agricultural and non-agricultural jobs,

Washington’s minimum wage will increase to $9.19 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2013, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced today.

L&I calculates the state’s minimum wage each year as required by Initiative 688, approved by Washington voters in 1998. The 15-cent-per-hour increase, from $9.04 to $9.19 an hour, reflects a 1.67 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index (for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI‑W) announced earlier this month by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

The CPI-W measures average price changes for goods and services purchased by urban wage earners and clerical workers. The goods and services it monitors include basic living costs such food, clothing, shelter, fuels, and services such as doctor visits.

 

The 15-cent-per-hour increase, from $9.04 to $9.19 an hour, reflects a 1.67 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index (for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI‑W) announced earlier this month by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

 

According to the BLS’ Sept. 14 announcement, about 80 percent of the increase was due to a jump in gasoline prices, which rose an average of nine percent over the past 12 months.  

Washington is one of 10 states that adjust the minimum wage based on inflation and the CPI. The others are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont.

Washington has the highest minimum wage, followed by Oregon, which recently announced its 2013 minimum wage will rise 1.7 percent, or by 15 cents, to $8.95 per hour.

Washington’s minimum wage applies to workers in both agricultural and non-agricultural jobs, although 14‑ and 15-year-olds may be paid 85 percent of the adult minimum wage, or $7.68 in 2012.

More information on Washington’s minimum wage is available at Wages.Lni.wa.gov. Employers and workers also may call 360-902-5316 or 1-866-219-7321.

workplace injury

How Can Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Be Treated? (Part 2)

Treatments can vary as symptoms change over time.

Today’s post comes from guest author Todd Bennett from Rehm, Bennett & Moore.

CRPS cases can be just as complex and complicated as the condition itself. Contact Causey Law Firm for assistance if you, or someone you know, has CRPS and is dealing with an injury or disability claim with the Department of Labor and Industries and/or the Social Security Administration.

Today’s post is continued from last week, when we discussed the symptoms of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Today we will discuss treatment options.

The job of your doctor is to identify and treat your symptoms before they become incurable. Common forms of treatment for CRPS are

  • physical therapy
  • injections
  • sympathetic mediated injections
  • sympathetic blocks
  • nerve conduction studies
  • CT scans
  • vasomotor studies
  • Doppler studies
  • bone-density tests
  • medications for pain & anti-inflammation

No single form of treatment has been found 100% effective.  Continue reading How Can Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Be Treated? (Part 2) →

workplace injury

What Is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)? (Part 1)

Diagnosis of CRPS is made through process of elimination.

Today’s post comes from guest author Todd Bennett from Rehm, Bennett & Moore.

CRPS cases can be just as complex and complicated as the condition itself. Contact Causey Law Firm for assistance if you, or someone you know, has CRPS and is dealing with an injury or disability claim with the Department of Labor and Industries and/or the Social Security Administration.

Representing clients with chronic pain is both one of the hardest and most rewarding parts of my job.

The International Association for the Study of Pain sets forth four diagnostic criteria for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS):

  1. an initiating event,
  2. continuous pain,
  3. edema, temperature, or color differences affecting a limb, and
  4. excluding all other causes.

These criteria are vague but, because diagnosis of CRPS is elusive, they are the established criteria for a physician identifying and treating chronic pain that cannot be attributed to any other cause.

When your doctor believes the pain you are experiencing is out of proportion to your examination findings and the severity of your injury, it creates a problem. However, this is quite common when suffering from complex regional pain syndrome. While those who suffer from CRPS are often frurstrated because the exact cause of the pain cannot be proven, the medical literature confirms that this disease, and the resulting pain, is real!

The 3 stages of complex regional pain syndrome, ie. chronic pain, are variable but the descriptions below show how the disease can progress: Continue reading What Is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)? (Part 1) →

Published by Causey Wright