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WASHINGTON, DC—Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) today announced the introduction of a bipartisan resolution designating November as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Awareness Month to raise awareness about this rare neuro-inflammatory syndrome and ensure individuals living with this condition have access to early detection as well as safe and effective treatments.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy is characterized by persistent, regional pain that is disproportionate to any known trauma or lesion, and is accompanied by sensory, motor, vasomotor, and/or trophic changes in the affected limb.

Rep. Tonko successfully championed the push in Congress to improve visibility and access to treatments for the millions of individuals impacted by a rare disease with his Helping Experts Accelerate Rare Treatments (HEART) Act, which was signed into law in December 2022.

“For the millions of Americans living with a rare or ultra-rare disease, reliable information is scarce and treatment options are even more limited, leaving patients and their families with few paths forward and even fewer reasons for hope.” Rep. Tonko said. “That’s why I am incredibly proud of my work alongside advocates to have passed the HEART Act. This law amplifies the voices of those living with a rare disease as well as healthcare professional who care for them, while also accelerating the development and approval of new treatments. But my work to uplift the needs of those living with these rare conditions is far from over. Today, I’m honored to introduce a new resolution on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome alongside Representative Miller-Meeks and am deeply grateful to all those who have helped raise awareness on this often-overlooked condition. I pledge to continue working to ensure Congress meets the needs of those living with a rare disease.”

In a statement, the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA) said, “Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDS.org) supports CRPS Awareness as a great step forward in giving comfort and hope to all those afflicted with CRPS. We are deeply grateful to Representative Tonko and Representative Miller-Meeks for their continued commitment to raising awareness. The nature, and even the existence of CRPS, is too little known. Increasing awareness of CRPS will motivate wider education about this painful disease among healthcare professionals as well as among the lay public. It will promote support for those who suffer with CRPS, and it will encourage research into the mechanisms of the disease of CRPS, which will lead to better treatments, and, ultimately, for a cure for CRPS.”