Advocacy

Time Magazine Special Issue on Pain
The March 7, 2011 issue of Time magazine has a special report on pain. One article, Living with Pain: What happens when you can't make it go away? profiles Kristi Schaffer who has CRPS.

Sen. Dahl highlights November as RSD Awareness Month

Kentucky Bill Would Require Nurses to Complete 2 Hours of CRPS Education

INvisible Project 2010
By Nicole Hemmingway

Kentucky: HR 56
HR 56 urges public health and healthcare professionals and entities to take an active role in raising awareness and educating Kentucky citizens about Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. HR 56 passed the KY House Heath & Welfare Committee on February 17, 2010.

Ohio: Testimony in support of SB 216

Illinois: RSDS legislation signed into law

Pass an Awareness and Education bill in your state!

Click here for a Model Awareness bill to use for establishing your bill.

Read the Awareness bills from these states:
(Adobe Acrobat Required)

Delaware
Illinois
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Oregon

Walks for Hope and Possiblility

2010 Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility

2009 Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility in NYC

2008 Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility in NYC

Slideshow of the 2007 Minneapolis Walk for a Cure (Not an Achilles Walk)

Slideshow of the 2007 Achilles Walk in Atlanta

Slideshow of the 2007 Achilles Walk in New York City

Raising Awareness

Anna Brilliant's Girl Scout Gold Award Project

Finding Other Ways to Give: Nicole Biller's Awareness Story

That's the Spirit
By Debra Nelson-Hogan
Across the campus of Ball State University, students are sporting orange awareness ribbons, similar to those used to symbolize the fight against AIDs or breast cancer. The ribbons, used to symbolize the fight against CRPS pain, were the brainchild of Ashley Mahoney...read more

• Take copies of RSDSA materials, such as the newsletter or any of our brochures, to your physician's office or medical center. Call 877.662.7737 for additional copies.
• Print copies of the RSDSA Awareness poster and hang them in highly visable locations-drug stores, hospitals, medical groups, etc.
• Educate yourself about the latest CRPS developments. Contact service clubs in your community (ie, Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, church and synagogue groups, women's leagues) and offer to be a guest speaker. Most individuals are astounded and grateful to learn about CRPS. You can use our PowerPoint® presentation on the Diagnosis and Treatment of CRPS.
• Contact your local media about doing a story on CRPS.
  We can provide the newspaper, radio, or television station with information on CRPS.
• Write an article for our newsletter. Consider writing a book review (the book should of course be relevant to living with CRPS or chronic pain in general), helpful hints, or a success story about something you have done despite your CRPS.

Make Your Own RSDSA Fundraising Canisters

You can download labels to make fundraising canisters that help raise money for research. You can keep them on your desk at work, or ask local merchants if you can place them on the counter near the cash register.

The labels are designed for tall and skinny cans (like Pringles®) and short and fat ones that can be used on plastic coffee cans. These types of cans come with plastic lids, so you can make an slit for people to insert money.

When you send the proceeds to RSDSA, we will list your contribution in the Donations department of our newsletter.

Join RSDSA

Your RSDSA membership is important. There is power in numbers, and we would like to see our membership, currently over 7,000, grow to encompass all those who are afflicted with CRPS. When we speak to the legislature, the pharmaceutical companies, and the medical associations. Our voice is strong and our message is clear.

Anything you can do will be greatly appreciated by the CRPS community. We look forward to working with you. You can contact us online at info@rsds.org.

See Ways To Give for more suggestions!

Updated June 20, 2011