Hundreds raise funds for rare condition at Eisenhower Park

More than 450 walkers raised $50,000 earlier this month during the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association’s second annual Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy awareness walk at Eisenhower Park.

The event—which raised $25,000 last year and exceeded its $35,000 goal this year—hosted several booths where doctors and patients interacted. They handed out pamphlets and answered questions throughout the event.

The RSDSA website estimates that less than 200,000 people are diagnosed with CRPS, designating it as a rare disorder by the United States Food & Drug Administration. It flares when the nervous system and the immune system malfunction as they respond to tissue damage caused by severe trauma. The result varies for each individual, but common symptoms are swelling in the affected area, abnormal hair or nail growth, moderate to severe pain associated with allodynia (pain from an activity that should not cause any pain, such as touching clothes or bathing) and pain that can be described as deep, aching, cold, burning, and/or increased sensitivity.