How can I positively influence the healing process? | Healing of Sudeck’s disease

How can I positively influence the healing process?

• A young patient age influences complete healing and shortens the healing time in Sudeck’s disease. Children often have a good course of disease with a complete reduction of symptoms.
• In addition, the start of therapy plays a decisive role in the course of the disease. In order for those affected to have a chance of improving their symptoms, the disease must be diagnosed as early as possible and treated adequately. Rapid treatment has a very positive effect on the healing of Sudeck’s disease.

What influences the healing process negatively?

There are factors which have a negative influence on the healing of Sudeck’s disease and thus promote a chronification of the symptoms. A higher age has a negative effect on the course of the disease. Further factors are a late diagnosis and a correspondingly late therapy.

The healing process often takes a very long time and the symptoms sometimes become chronic. If left untreated, many of those affected develop psychological problems at the same time, as the symptoms cause them great distress. Such complicating factors also have a negative effect on the healing process.

Prognosis

In most cases, Sudeck’s disease is chronic. However, in more than 50% of the patients, the symptoms can be expected to subside or even disappear completely. Chronification, however, is only the case if the pain has been ignored and not treated for many years.

Cause

It is currently assumed that the trigger is a small injury that is sometimes not even noticed by the patient. As a result, the healing of the injury is blocked by a dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system, creating a vicious circle. The non-healing wound causes a sympathetic nervous system reaction, which in turn causes further pain.

It is not easy to break this vicious circle because the sympathetic nervous system is a nerve plexus that runs through the entire body and is absolutely necessary for survival. It is therefore not possible to switch off the sympathetic nervous system. It is also discussed whether the pain is related to a dysregulation of the pain response.It is possible that in certain individuals too many pain mediators are released when an injury occurs, thereby initiating Sudeck’s disease.