Medical treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

The treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is not delineated clearly, and there are few controlled studies regarding rehabilitation as medicine. Analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and intra-articular steroids are used widely, but especially in Europe, calcitonin is the primary treatment at early stages of the disease. Local intravenous injections are used currently in case of failure of the previous treatments. Physical therapy and rehabilitation are needed also to decrease pain and to improve stiffness.