FAQ These are "Frequently Asked Questions"
- but are they your questions? To
submit a factual question click
QUESTION. To write to a member of our correspondence Team click CONTACT.
IMPORTANT
RSD Alert collates information to help you manage
your condition but we have no medically qualified personnel. You need
to keep in touch with your own medical advisor.
FAQ
Does RSD have a genetic
element?
This question is being asked about
many diseases in this age of increasing genetic literacy, and the
straight answer at this stage has to be "don't know".
Compared with many other conditions, some of them far less common,
there is a sad lack of scientific work being done on RSD. However,
enough has been done to indicate that genetics plays a part to some
extent. The commonplace fact that it affects twice as many women
as men is suggestive in itself. Of greater relevance is a chance
discovery made during animal trials a couple of years ago. Some
rats were being tested to see if they produced similar symptoms
to RSD and the tests proved positive. The laboratory, in eastern
USA, then published its results and, in true scientific tradition,
a west coast laboratory tried to replicate the results. They came
up negative. When both labs tried again and came up with the results
they had previously they both checked their methods and realised
that the only difference was their source of laboratory rats. One
set of breeding stock was susceptible and the other was not.
A recent study suggested that RSD may relate to a fault on chromosome
8, but the study has yet to be replicated and confirmed. In any
case, that still leaves a major question about how the condition
is actually triggered.
Susceptibility is, of course, the only factor of RSD that we
could inherit. RSD/CRPS does not arise spontaneously and the most
susceptible person will never suffer the condition unless they
fall victim to a triggering event. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
follows some kind of physical trauma such as injury or surgery
and accidents are not inherited. My own experience suggests that
any genetic element is likely to be weak, since my brother, my
sister and two of my sons each broke an arm at some stage and
never developed RSD. I went through childhood and brought up a
family without breaking a limb, despite many falls but, when I
did eventually break my arm, I quickly developed RSD.
I guess that most people who ask this question are concerned
that their children might suffer the same pain they have to go
through themselves. From the evidence to date there seems to be
no reason to worry. However, if you have information that may
help our understanding on this subject, we'd like to hear from
you. If you, or someone you know, have several instances of RSD
in the same family, please drop us a line at FAQ@rsdalert.co.uk. Derrick Phillips - Editor of RSD Alert
Examples -
Debbie and her daughter (Canada)
Allyson and her brother Gregory (Portland, Oregon)
www.rsdalert.co.uk
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