Patient Stories

I was diagnosed with RSD/CRPS when I was 12 after fracturing my ankle. I saw 18 different specialists, all of which tried different techniques that only provided temporary solutions, if any at all. I had nerve blocks, high dosages of drugs and several tests that made me feel more like a lab rat than a teenage girl. I had to use an electric scooter or wheelchair to get around, because it was too painful to walk. Doctors said I was imagining the pain, and even those who believed me didn’t know how to help.

When my parents and I first met Dr. Zeltzer, we were so encouraged that she wanted to help and more importantly, that she knew how to. Over my time with the UCLA team, I saw several members of the team for different therapies and learned different techniques from all of them on how to realistically deal with RSD. Their combined treatment programme helped me manage the pain and get my leg strong enough to walk again, but the best thing that Dr. Zeltzer and her team gave me were the tools to be able to deal with my RSD without constantly seeing doctors to help with the pain.

I still do my physical therapy and hypnotherapy regularly, but my pain is very manageable now. I now live in London, where I teach and study Shakespeare. I have a very full life and RSD only plays a minor role in it, mostly thanks to the UCLA team and the techniques they taught me.