Coinciding with National Pain Awareness Month, on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., hundreds of chronic pain patients fighting complex regional pain syndrome will walk through Eisenhower Park to bring awareness to the painful disease. This will be Reflex Sympathetic Syndrome Association’s third annual Long Island Awareness Walk for Complete Regional Pain Syndrome (aka Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy).
Below is the schedule of events. All times are approximate.
- 8 a.m.: Walk Registration and Education Tent opens at Dogwood Field; bagel breakfast
- 8:45 a.m.: Introductions, presentations and commemoration with VIP guest speakers
- 9:15 a.m.: Walk commences over 1k and 2.5k reserved paths
- 11:30 a.m.: BBQ lunch
- 12:30-2 p.m.: Raffles, children’s crafts, live entertainment by WBAB 102.3, patient support and socializing
Nicknamed the ‘suicide disease,” CRPS is a rare neuro-inflammatory disorder that results from acute, mild to severe traumas of tissue, muscle and nerves from surgery, bruise, needle insertion, bracing and more.
CRPS has been rated on the McGill Pain Index as the most painful disease known to man — even more painful than cancer, amputation and childbirth, yet few medical professionals are experienced enough to diagnose and treat the disorder, which results in extreme burning, skin discoloration, muscle wasting, debilitating pain and weakness, internal medical complications and other problems. Early diagnosis is crucial to prevent CRPS from migrating.
There is no cure for CRPS, and available treatments are very limited and ineffective.
The event is sponsored by Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Milford, CT. Its mission is to provide support, education and hope to all affected by the pain and disability of CRPS / RSD, while driving research to better develop treatments and a cure. RSDSA aims to improve the lives of people affected by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
For more details, visit www.firstgiving.com or the Facebook event page. FIND RSDSA on Twitter at @RSDSA with the hashtag #RSDSA2018LIWalk.
