Suburban teen releases song/video for Chronic Pain Awareness Nov. 2
ALGONQUIN, Ill., Oct. 31, 2014 - A local 14-year-old girl wrote, recorded and released a song on iTunes and a music video on YouTube to create awareness for reflex sympathetic dystrophy, also known as complex regional pain syndrome. The song, written by Danielle Stratton, is about her struggle with chronic pain over the last four years.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), is a chronic pain disorder attributed to a malfunction of part of the nervous system. The pain is characterized as constant, extremely intense, and out of proportion to the original injury.
"My foot started to hurt when I was in cheerleading in fifth grade," said Stratton. "The pain got progressively worse over the next four years, but all X-rays, MRIs and even surgery showed there was nothing wrong with my foot."
After speaking with a family friend who was diagnosed with CRPS, Stratton finally found a doctor who could give her a diagnosis and treatment plan, but her struggle to overcome the pain is still ongoing.
Early diagnosis and treatment are key to avoiding disabling pain, but this syndrome is consistently underdiagnosed and under-treated. Left untreated, the symptoms can become chronic, spread to other parts of the body and persist for years. The severity of the pain and the disruption of life can lead to depression and anxiety, especially if it goes undiagnosed and untreated.
"When I was diagnosed with CRPS, we didn't know much about it," said Stratton. "It's not a condition that most people have heard of, and no one can tell by looking at me that I'm in so much pain. I wrote this song and made a music video to help create awareness because there are other people out there that have this mysterious, constant pain who need help."
November is RSD/CRPS Awareness month.
Nov. 3 has been declared Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Awareness Day in the state of Illinois. On this day, in conjunction with the Color the World Orange movement, CRPS patients and supporters will be wearing orange and holding events to spread awareness and raise funds to support research (www.facebook.com/ColorTheWorldOrange).
Stratton's song, titled "Kryptonite," is available for download on iTunes (itunes.apple.com/album/id930564077) and the music video can be seen on YouTube at youtu.be/YVoQczI0gxY. To help raise funds and create awareness for RSD/CRPS, watch the video, download the song and share on social media.
To donate, visit www.rsds.org.
About RSD/CRPS:
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), also known as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), is a chronic and incurable neurological disorder in which the autonomic nervous system malfunctions, causing nerves to misfire and send constant pain signals to the brain. It is rated as the most painful form of chronic pain that exists today on the McGill Pain Scale (www.rsdhope.org/mcgill-pain-index---where-is-crps-pain-ranked.html). RSD/CRPS typically develops in response to physical trauma - a fall, fracture, infection, surgery or repetitive motion injury like carpal tunnel syndrome. Strangely, it often develops after a seemingly minor injury such as a stubbed toe or sprained ankle. Although there are many symptoms, pain disproportionate to the precipitating injury is common in all cases. In some patients, the condition is mild; in others it is severe and debilitating. Although it's not known exactly how many people have RSD/CRPS worldwide, it is estimated that as many as 3 million suffer from the disease in the United States alone. Typical age of onset is the mid-30s, yet children and the elderly also develop the disorder. It affects women more often than men, and is becoming more prevalent in young girls. Visit www.rsds.org for more information.