Besides surgical treatment, application of ice as well as immobilization with application of cast, confinement to wheelchair, and prolonged bed rest are strong aggravators of the disease, drastically reduce the chances of the patient returning back to work.

Early diagnosis and proper conservative treatment with effective antidepressants, anticonvulsants, anti-inflammatory medication, proper epidural nerve blocks, and avoidance of repetitive sympathetic nerve blocks, as well as effective physical therapy and moderation in rest and activity help the patient overcome the curse of CRPS and help the patient recover and return to some form of normal life.

The percentage of the patients treated with surgery, ice application, and immobilization, becoming able to return to work is less than 10% -20%. The proper treatment as outlined above in our experience helps the patients to return to work by over 55% range if the disease is diagnosed earlier than two years, and around 40% if the disease is diagnosed after two years.

We are extremely reluctant to consider the patient totally disable from any type work because inactivity is just as harmful as too much activity.

Because the cash is not there, the government will obviously see to it that only the ones who are totally disabled, and can prove it to the court through proper legal channels can have access to their savings. If the individual is not injured, but is counting for spending the Social Security money for the days of his retirement, the formula is set to let the individual to collect 100% of the money only after 100 years of age. So, if the individual retires at 70 years of age, then 70% of the money will be gradually available to him in the form of monthly payments. Obviously, there are only 300,000 centenarians (old people over 100 years) in the entire world, so the majority of us will not have access to the money saved any time after 80 to 90 years of age. In theory, the government has borrowed the Social Security money and has used it for budget deficit or other spending purposes. This is the only money the government borrows and never pays a penny of interest on it to the individuals who have trusted their money to the system. It is not like a bond that the government has to pay interest on it.

If the doctors have proven the patient is disabled, that does not mean the patient is going to have access to his disability money. Even after the patient is totally disabled, the individual has to prove his disability beyond any doubt. Otherwise, after three appeals he will lose access to his Social Security money.

In almost over 80% of the cases, the Social Security Department Executives see to it that the patient will not be qualified and certified for disability. On the other hand, when the cases are properly taken to the judge of Social Security, the percentage of ability to have access to the deserved Social Security is several times higher because of the fact that the judges of the Social Security are very impartial and fair.

To be able to prove the case with the judge of Social Security requires hiring a Social Security attorney after the appeal has been turned down twice. If the Social Security attorney knows what he is doing, he will provide proper medical reports from the doctors to meet the 12 minimum requirements of the proof of disability. Never try to practice law and take the case without a proper attorney to court.

Do not become distracted, furious, and do not lose your "cool" when in the first and second stages of application, the Social Security Officers send you to doctors who are likely to declare you able to go back to work. Usually these doctors are selected and are on the list of the Social Security Officers because they are no experts, and are not familiar with the patient’s illness. These are the doctors who are likely to believe, similar to majority of the general population, that when you apply to get your Social Security money, you are costing the tax payers a lot of money. Obviously, you are applying to receive the portion of your own money that you have trusted with the government.

You don’t want an ambulance chaser type of doctor or an HMO servant to examine you and to destroy your chances of earning your disability. There are enough doctors knowledgeable enough in their field who do not need to take sides with one party or the other, and are able to prove or disprove that you meet the 12 minimum requirements.

In conclusion, the Social Security System works as long as your case is heard by the judge of Social Security. Try to resort to any and every kind of non-invasive and effective treatment so that you don’t end up needing Social Security Disability.

Especially in the case of CRPS patients, early retirement is the beginning of the end. If at all possible, you should keep your mind and body busy with some for of a vocation rather than feeling sorry for yourself and becoming a couch potato. From there you are quite likely to end up in a nursing home because of inactivity. Inactivity causes severe depression, severe chronic fatigue, and severe intolerable deep pain.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste with retirement. I plan on practicing beyond 80 years of age.

H. Hooshmand, M.D.