by GENIE TARTELL, DC, RN & TED KAVANAU

TONE YOUR BODY & CALM YOUR MIND FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR BED!

From NewHarbinger books. You should be able to get this from amazon.com or Barnes & Noble website. If not you can visit NEWHARBINGER WEBSITE  

This is a series of 42 exercises drawn from Yoga, Pilates, Karate, and stretching divided into three sections; exercises done lying on your back, sides, and stomach. Regular exercises will tone muscles, increase strength and endurance, calm the mind, and even improve sleep. All done from the bed!

This is a book written with the disabled patient in mind. Being disabled doesn't mean you shouldn't be fit, it simply means parts of you don't work as well as they used to. It also means you have to take extra care of your body, pay extra attention to your muscles and to what your body is telling you. A big plus here is that these exercises will help you improve your sleep.

Check out the NewHarbinger site for more information and reviews; GET FIT IN BED REVIEWS AND INFORMATION  

By Douglas M. Smith, Attorney at Law

Through Physicians Disability Services, Inc. Mr. Smith provides invaluable workbooks on major topics that are beneficial to all seeking SSD, Social Security Disability. This is their latest incarnation, and a very clever one at that.

"A Helping Hand" explains the Social Security disability program with pictures, rather than words. Shows what to do and not do.

Authored by a novel three person team: a disability lawyer, graphic artist, and comic book writer, who have created an accessible, user-friendly introductory guide for folks new to the disability application process - or folks who are just baffled by papers and forms. Attorney Doug Smith says, "Helping Hand is a concise illustration of how to get started, or how to help a friend or spouse document important details that will secure Social Security Disability Benefits sooner rather than later."

Ten large-type pages of words and pictures, plus six useful "Factsheets" that help you organize your case. You can dowload the e-book for only $5! Prefer a print edition? That is only $7.50. either way, it is a big help for little money. It helps explain in a much simpler way a sometimes difficult process.

You can read more about them on their website, www.disabilityfacts.com  , Calling 410-431-5279, or writing to them at:
Physicians Disability Services, Inc.,
PO Box 827,
Arnold, MD, 21012

Let them know you heard about it from American RSDHope. We do not get a kickback but it‘s good for them to know where you learned about them.

By Douglas M. Smith, Attorney at Law

Through Physicians Disability Services, Inc. Mr. Smith provides invaluable workbooks on major topics that are beneficial to all seeking SSD, Social Security Disability, or having it reviewed. There are a series of seven of them, the best one being "Proving Disability to the Social Security Administration". These are the best on this topic I have seen and are extremely helpful, even including the actual forms themselves!

You can read more about them on their website, www.disabilityfacts.com  , Calling 410-431-5279, or writing to them at:
Physicians Disability Services, Inc.,
PO Box 827,
Arnold, MD, 21012

Let them know you heard about it from American RSDHope. We do not get a kickback but it‘s good for them to know where you learned about them.

Most of us have gained a basic knowledge of RSD through the internet. But we are always looking for expert opinions; whether it be for a legal case, to convince our own Doctors, our family, our Insurance company, or for our own edification and continuing education. Not only do we want to know what is already known about the disease, but we all want to keep up with the latest advances in Research as well.

If the above describes you in any way, have I got the book for you!

The Medifocus Guide To RSD is like having a giant encyclopedia on RSD compacted into one 100 page book, and even better, an electronic format that lets you just pop on-line and read it or download it onto your computer to read at your leisure.

Not only does the Guide have the basics of RSD, (description, etiology, signs, symptoms, causes), but it takes it a step further with sections on current and developing treatments, finding a Doctor, and discussing the Research Centers across the USA and beyond.

Great focus must be paid to their section on their Guide to Medical Literature. This is full of Abstracts, (brief summaries), of the latest articles on Drug Therapy, Clinical Trials, Nerve Blocks, Review Articles, and much more. This is the meat of the Guide.

As they state in their literature " A typical Medline search for a specific disease or condition usually retrieves hundreds or even thousands of "hits" of journal article citations. That's an avalanche of information that needs to be evaluated and transformed into truly useful knowledge. What are the most relevant journal articles? Which ones apply to your specific situation? Which articles are considered to be the most authoritative - the ones your physician would rely on in making clinical decisions? This is where Medifocus.com and the MediFocus Guidebooks provide an effective solution."

They do the grunt work of sorting through all of the articles and finding the appropriate ones, those that pertain to RSD and that are of value. Plus , when you buy the Guide, they give you FREE Updates for One Year! How many publishers make that kind of offer?

One of the things that makes this guide extremely practical for RSD patients is that they give you two purchase options;

1) Electronic Guidebook: $24.95
Order the electronic format of the MediFocus Guidebook on Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy that you can access immediately online and review the information. You will also be able to download the complete Guidebook to your computer for permanent storage.

2) Printed Guidebook: $29.95
Order online a printed copy of your Guidebook to be mailed to you. Includes immediate access to the electronic Guidebook at no extra charge.

With both of these options you have access to the online version, so your computer settings determine how you see the typeface, if you need to make it larger for poor eyesight. With option 2 you also get the printed version to share with your loved ones, Doctor, friends, etc.

PLUS, you get FREE updates for one whole year!

Mention American RSDHope when you order and they will make a donation to our organization!

Peace,
Keith Orsini
Director, American RSDHope

For a free preview of the Medifocus Guide to Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy point your browser to   

PAIN FREE, 1-2-3

By Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.

he also wrote From Fatigued to Fantastic

There is alot of great information in this book for everyone. Wheter you have RSD, or Fibromyalgia, Chronic Back Pain, or even Hypoglycemia. This book is for everyone living in Chronic Pain.

I purchased my book at Barnes and Noble

you can visit them at BARNES AND NOBLE  

to see if you have a local store near you or to order it and have it shipped.

This review was by: Paula Sorrentino

A Review by A. Robert Orsini, Executive Director
RSDHope Group / Maine RSDS Patient Advocacy Group

If you are looking for a refreshing new look at the field of pain management, you need to read VALIDATE YOUR PAIN! EXPOSING THE CHRONIC PAIN COVER-UP. Drs. Chino and Davis have given us a no holds barred primer for understanding chronic pain from a "patient advocate" viewpoint. For the Health Professionals that don‘t listen to their patients , it definitely will cause a lot of "seat squirming" as they begin to realize that it is NOT "all in your head".

We at RSDHope are Patient Advocates first, so we naturally were attracted to the chapters entitled;

VALIDATE YOUR PAIN is published by Health Access Press, 2445 River Tree Circle, Sanford, FL 32771

"RSD is gritting my teeth as I feel the excruciating crunch of every water droplet between my burning fingers after struggling through a shower. RSD is suffering the humiliation of waiting all day until someone ties my shoes and opens the front door for me. RSD is deadly cold hands that cannot bear the touch of a soothing hand to warm them. RSD is anxiety, and fear, and frustration, alienation, desperation and immense loss. It is navigating a medical community that is insufficiently informed and dangerously fails at diagnosing this serious pain condition."

Does this sound familiar to you? Have you had these experiences yourself? Suffered through these emotions? Felt that desperation and loss?

Most RSD patients have. Elana Juris has. She even wrote a book about it to help her fellow patients. But more importantly, she also wants us to know this.

"There is also good news. RSD also involves being detected and embraced by certain dedicated health professionals who slowly educated and nursed me back into life. And finally, RSD involves healing."

Elena Juris is a health communications expert and a recovering RSD patient. She develops patient and professional education campaigns for clients ranging from the American Cancer Society to Pfizer. She has been a media pitching/placement trainer for the Department of Health and Human Services. She lives in Baltimore, MD

“Positive Options for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy”

Self-Help and Treatment

by Elena Juris

Stop by the Hunter House website to read some excerpts and reviews as well as more details about the book. The cost for the paperback is a very reasonable $14.95.

Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914
Alameda CA 94501
(510) 865-5282
Fax (510) 865-4295

EMAIL HUNTERHOUSE

Or tell your Book dealer the ISBN # is 0-89793-436-9

HUNTER HOUSE WEBSITE TO ORDER THE BOOK  

By Richard Smith

Richard has authored an excellent book, ONE STANDS ALONE, from his personal experiences as a police officer and what a police officer endures. Richard also mentions RSD and the problems associated with it in this book.

Richard does several book signings a year and hopefully you can catch up with him at a book store near you.

You can find out more about this book by visiting Richards site:

One Stands Alone  

We wish Richard the best with this and any future books he may author.

"More on Peripheral Neuropathy"

Written by John Seneff.

This present book, the second in the series, is a veritable bible on pain, treatments, and medications. I was astonished to see all that was covered and that no matter what type of Chronic Pain you suffer from, you can mine this book for big gold nuggets!

This book covers everything from what Peripheral Neuropathy is to all types of pain medications such as Antidepressants, Anticonvulsants, Antispasmodics, Topical Treatments, and Options. From Nerve blocks to TENS units, brain stimulators, and HBO treatment.

It covers alternative therapies like Biofeedback, Hypnosis, magnetic therapy, and Acupuncture. In addition it covers Nutrient Supplements such as vitamins and minerals.

My favorite part though and perhaps the most important, are the sections on "Experimental Therapies" from Gene Therapy to Stem Cell Technology. This is the future of Pain Management and he gives us a marvelous overview of what is coming down the pike. It gives us hope for the future.

Dr Seneff‘s first book was excellent but he has outdone himself here. This book is a MUST read for anyone in ANY type of Chronic pain. He allows us to educate ourselves about what types of treatments are available. This in turn let‘s us be a bigger part of our overall treatment plan with our Drs.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr Seneff‘s book, it will be released in September of 2001.

The paperback is $22.95 and the ISBN number is 0-9671107-3-4 It is 6"x9" and has 280 pages.

If you cannot get it at your library or bookstore you can order it from;

MedPress, PO Box 691546, San Antonio, TX, 78269 or visit their website www.medpress.com or call 888-633-9898.

Thanks once again Mr. Seneff, who is also a patient of PN!

If you are looking for a Dr in this area, you might want to give him a call!

Review written by Keith Orsini, Director American RSDHope, www.RSDHope.org

I just finished reading a fantastic book on Fibromyalgia written by Dr. Mark Pellegrino called "Inside Fibromyalgia", "Specific Steps to Help Reclaim Your Life".

Dr Pellegrino has packed into 340+ pages, a veritable "Survivors Guide" for the Fibromyalgia sufferer. Each chapter is laid out in language that everyone can understand. At the end of each chapter he has a summation that highlights what was covered, which I found to be a great tool. Whether you are newly diagnosed, a long time Fibromyalgia Survivor, or a loved one wanting to learn more; this book has something for you. I can‘t recommend it highly enough.

Some excerpts "The main complaint with Fibromyalgia (Fibro) is PAIN. Several key phrases describe severe pain: "I hurt all over", My pain moves around", and "I feel like I‘ve been run over by a Mack truck."

"The pain may be described as a constant ache, nag, or throbbing. The muscles are not the only painful areas. Other soft tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, and bursa can be painful. Typical pain locations include the head and the neck, shoulders (especially between the shoulder blades, low back and hip muscles. Certain areas may cause sharp, stabbing pains."

The book is 348 pages long and comes in an easy to read 8.5" x 11"size. The IBN number is 1-890018-36-8. The book is $24.95. If your local bookstore doesn‘t have it, you can order directly from the publisher, just call 800 633-0055.

You can also visit their website at
http://www.Anadem.com  

Reviewed by Keith Orsini, RSDHope

You can always tell a good book if the pages are dog-eared or folded over, for later reference. My copy of this book has almost every other page folded over! It is a wonderful book and I found myself on nearly every page; feelings that I have had, experiences that I have gone through, and situations I have dealt with.

While it doesn‘t specifically list CRPS/RSDS among its invisible chronic illnesses; it is right there in every page. It is divided into two main sections; The Experience of Invisible Chronic Illness (ICI), and Coping with Invisible Chronic Illness.

They define ICI as "diseases that are characterized by chronicity and symptoms that are not externally manifested." Later they say, "These symptoms do not show up in a way that makes it obvious to an observer that a person is suffering. Unlike a wound that bleeds or requires stitches, a mending limb that is encased in a cast, or malfunctiong legs that necessitate use of a wheelchair, the symptoms of invisible chronic illness have no external evidence of suffering that elicit compassion. Instead the patient often endures suspicion and withdrawal from others." Sound familiar?

As quoted on their back cover, "Being sick makes us vulnerable. When we are sick we need understanding and tender loving care. Being ill with Invisible Chronic Illness not only makes us particularly vulnerable, but also threatens the understanding and sympathy we need from our family, friends, and doctors.

This is an extraordinary book for patients and loved ones to read, not just RSD patients but other forms of ICI like MS, Fibromyalgia, etc. You can order it through Norton Books at your bookstore or at their website, www.wwnorton.com  

"What does it take to have a successful marriage?"

For Dr. Furman the question was a very real one when he realized his wife of 20 years was unhappy and unfulfilled in their marriage. Yet this is not just another book about a faltering marriage, it is an answer to the challenge of marriage in our times. The Intimate Husband is the remarkable story of one mans quest for the keys to a dynamic and satisfying marriage. Dr. Furman talked with husbands all over the country whose wives were contented and fulfilled, and what he learned about what it takes to build a successful marriage in these stress-filled times, turned his own struggling relationship into an intimate marriage.

In a world where marital dreams may become nightmares, The Intimate Husband is for anyone who wants to protect the intimate marriage they already have, those who are willing to rebuild what has been lost, or for those whose marriages are just starting out.

I absolutely loved this book cover to cover. Filled with ideas in each chapter to inspire and foster a loving, caring, and productive environment.

It is published by Random House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 97402

A Review by Bob, Lynne, & Keith Orsini

Although we’re not usually in the position of reviewing books, occasionally one comes along that peaks our interest because not only does it provide educational information, but it also displays the courage needed to cope with a strange disorder similar to what RSDS, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, folks have to endure. The second part may be even more important than the first.

Such a book is "Numb Toes and Aching Soles: Coping With Peripheral Neuropathy". The author John Senneff provides a resource that covers most of the drugs and treatments that RSD patients will find very familiar. It also includes candid discussions on personal experiences; such as side effects, alternative medicines, etc.

We share John’s caveat that there is no intent to substitute any particular treatment, therapy, or approach to treatment. You should continue to rely solely on your doctors for what is appropriate for you. We recommend this book to you because we firmly believe that educating patients is the best way to help solve the mysteries surrounding RSD. We cannot expect our treating physicians to know everything.

Although there are clearly differences between RSD and sensory peripheral neuropathy, there are certainly enough similarities in terms of pain experiences, treatments, new drugs on the horizon, and coping, to make the information in the book valuable.

A brief synopsis provided is as follows;

"Numb Toes and Aching Soles: Coping with Peripheral Neuropathy", is a complete guide to causes, symptoms, tests, and treatments in dealing with peripheral neuropathy. Included are treatments, (both currently being prescribed and in the pipe-line), for the burning and other kinds of pains those with RSD must deal with constantly.

There are also over 200 patient stories on real life experiences with the various drug and other therapies covered. We can certainly relate to much that is said there! An important section, certainly relevant for all of us, is the chapter on coping. Practical, down-to-earth ideas for PNers and for those of us with RSD, on how to deal with day-to-day living problems more easily, are offered in abundance.

The book has been reviewed by 12 leading neurologists who have offered their thoughts on the subjects covered. The book is now featured at its own site: http://www.medpress.com  

There have also been some excellent reviews on it on various well respected websites, such as;

International Health News
http://vvv.com/healthnews/books.html  

Podiatry On-Line
http://www.smartfoot.com/neuropathy.html  

Rick Mendosa‘s diabetic site
http://www.mendosa.com/mag.htm  

Numb Toes and Aching Soles may be ordered by sending payment and mailing instructions to MedPress at P.O. Box 691546, San Antonio, TX 78269, USA. Credit card orders may be entered at www.medpress.com. The price for the soft cover edition is $19.95 and for the professional case bound, $29.95. In each case you‘ll need to add $4 for shipping and handling for the first book, $2 for each additional book.

We at RSDHope DO NOT have a stake in this. We do NOT get any money from Mr. Seneff for the books he sells to our members, or to anyone for that matter. He did generously offer to help in this way but we felt that would give the appearance of impropriety and might also stilt our objectivity. We are sharing this with you because we wanted you to have one more piece of the RSD puzzle.

Sincerely,

Bob, Lynne, & Keith Orsini
Directors, National RSDHope

Chronic Pain: Reflex sympathetic Dystrophy Prevention and Management is the first book devoted to the subject of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). The book presents a new classification for the different stages of RSD and features the most comprehensive coverage of the literature on RSD and its related aspects. Qualitative and quantitative differences between natural endorphins and synthetic narcotics are described for the first time, as are long-term follow-ups on sympathectomy patients. Other topics considered include thermographic methods for the diagnosis of RSD, the role of ACTH in the management of chronic pain, and comparisons between the effects of ACTH and those of corticosteroids. The mechanism of development of RSD is clarified through an extensive collection of drawings and anatomical pictures. The book also explains why sympathectomy fails, but nerve block and physiotherapy is successful in the treatment of RSD.

Chronic Pain: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Prevention and Management is an important reference for neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiatrists, thermographers, anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, interns, and students interested in the topic.

Features

• Presents a new classification for the different stages of RSD
• Features the most comprehensive coverage of the literature on RSD and its related aspects
• Describes for the first time qualitative and quantitative differences between natural endorphins and synthetic narcotics
• Examines the role of ACTH in the management of chronic pain
• Clarifies the mechanism of development of RSD through an extensive collection of drawings and anatomical pictures
• Explains why sympathectomy fails, but nerve block and physiotherapy is successful in the treatment of RSD

You can order this book on-line at: http://www.crcpress.com or you can e-mail them at: orders@crcpress.com

The following information will assist you in ordering this book:
Catalog Number: 8667,
ISBN: 0849386675
Price: $135.00
Publication Date: 03/26/93
Author: H. Hooshmand