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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Georgia Workers Compensation Claims

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) can be a confusing and frightening medical diagnosis.  CRPS can develop from relatively minor injuries.  However, when CRPS develops, these relatively minor injuries often become life changing.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome has been known by many names.  Many people still refer to CRPS as “Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy” or “RSD” for short.  It also used to be called “causalgia”.

Before going further, it is important to understand that this article is not intended to provide medical advice.  The author of this blog is an attorney, not a doctor.  Instead of providing medical advice, this article is simply intended to provide an understanding of what can be expected under the Georgia workers’ compensation laws if you develop complex regional pain syndrome.

Common Symptoms of CRPS

Two of the most common symptoms of CRPS are pain and hypersensitivity.  Both of these problems can make it difficult to return to work.

Hypersensitivity can be a significant problem because even a light touch to the affected area can be painful.  This pain it can make it very difficult to return to work because you want to avoid use of the affected arm or leg.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Spreading

Sometimes, CRPS is confined to just a small area of the body.  However, one of the unusual things about CRPS is that it sometimes “spreads”.

For example, an individual might originally develop CRPS from a fractured right hand.  It would not be unusual for the CRPS and the pain that it causes to “spread” from your right hand to other areas of your right arm.  It might also spread to the other arm or to either leg.

Medical treatment for complex regional pain syndrome usually includes pain management

Medical treatments for Comple Regional Pain Syndrome

There are many different types of medical treatment that are used to treat CRPS.  If you develop CRPS, you will probably end up treating with a pain management specialist.  That pain management specialist will probably treat you with some combination of prescription medications.  Other treatment options may include physical therapy, sympathetic nerve blocks, ketamine, and spinal cord stimulation.

The treatment of CRPS is constantly evolving.  Doctors are working to understand it better and to develop better treatments for it.  It is very important to discuss any treatment options with your doctor before pursuing treatment.

Catastrophic designation in CRPS cases

Since Complex Regional Pain Syndrome can be extremely painful and can affect multiple parts of the body, injured workers who develop CRPS often qualify for a catastrophic designation because of their inability to return to work.  This is especially important given the change in Georgia workers’ compensation law that limits medical treatment to 400 weeks if your case is not designated catastrophic.  Also, a catastrophic designation usually allows you to continue receiving temporary total disability benefits.

If your CRPS affects one or both legs, you also may have issues with walking and stairs.  A catastrophic designation will also allow you to get a catastrophic rehabilitation supplier on your case.  This can be important if you are having difficulty with suitable housing and transportation.

What should I do if I develop CRPS from a work injury?

Because CRPS is a very confusing and often frightening diagnosis, it is important to make sure you get good medical treatment.  If your CRPS is severe, you will probably have difficulty returning to work.

In this situation, it is important to understand the time limits on workers’ compensation benefits in Georgia and the exceptions to them. If you are uncertain about these, I would recommend setting up a free consultation.  If you think that might be of interest to you, take a look at this article to find out more information about what a free consultation is, what you will learn and how long it will take.

What if I have other questions about workers compensation?

Georgia’s workers compensation system can be very confusing.  You have to worry about getting the treatment you need and paying your bills while also worrying about not missing any deadlines that could cause you to lose your right to receive workers compensation benefits.

If you have questions, I would recommend that you try to get answers.  To find out more about how to schedule a time to talk to me about your workers compensation questions, just read this short article.

Jason Perkins is an attorney who specializes in representing injured workers.  He regularly publishes videos and write blog articles about Georgia’s workers compensation system and issues that are important to injured workers and their families.

To be notified of Jason’s new workers compensation videos, subscribe to his Georgia Workers Compensation Video Series channel on YouTube by clicking the subscribe button below.

Brittney-lee orourkeBrittney-lee orourke
05:23 18 Feb 22
Amazing! Jason and his team were very helpful and had the best communication by far. Walked me though every step with great detail and had answers for any question I had. They handled my case better then I could imagine, it was a weird case and they stayed on top of it and kept me updated every step of the way! Highly recommend this Team! Thanks so much to Jason and his Awesome team!-Brittney
China JonesChina Jones
18:58 08 Feb 22
I absolutely love this group of attorneys, when I was at my lowest they did everything they could to help me get justice for my injury. I believe if I were to have never picked my phone up and called the amazing group that helped me I definitely would not have received my idea of rights. If you have an issue and are just not sure please understand that they will help you, stay in contact, answer any question you have, and for sure get you the justice you deserve I thank them from the bottom of my heart and I will definitely refer them to anyone who has been hurt because they most definitely care about their work and clients.
Luv LocsLuv Locs
16:08 15 Jan 22
The entire law office was attentive and responsive to all of my concerns dealing with my workers compensation case.
moombimoombi
21:14 02 Jan 22
If you must get a lawyer involved, you’d do well to work with Jason Perkins and his team at Perkins Studdard Law.They were thorough in gathering information and in sharing all the steps in the workers comp process specific to my case. Jason and the team were responsive to my bevy of questions and concerns.I appreciated the informative videos and consultations provided by Jason over video meetings and multiple phone calls.I hope I’m never injured on the job again. However, if I am and if my employer responds as my previous employer did, I’ll contact Perkins Studdard Law immediately to handle the case.
Dana BessDana Bess
23:57 10 Dec 21
Everyone at Perkins Studdard was kind and professional. They were always extremely responsive and answered all questions that I had and followed up to make sure I had an understanding of what was going on along with emailing videos to explain every step of my case so I would know what to expect and be prepared. Jason is a very genuine person and I trusted him with my case. He answered so many questions for me even before I retained him as my WC lawyer. I highly recommend him and his associates at Perkins Studdard.
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