Perhaps the most debilitating of conditions we see in Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation cases are ones of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) [Formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)]. The hallmark of this condition is severe and constant pain. Since there is no cure for CRPS/RSD, all doctors can do is…
According to the PhillyBurbs.com, Rothman Institute, a highly respected medical practice based in Philadelphia, PA, has now opened a private hospital in Bensalem, PA. The hospital, the first opened by Rothman Institute, will handle only orthopedic conditions. There are 24 beds in the facility, which also contains medical offices. More…
In the PA Workers’ Compensation system, we often see the workers’ comp insurance company doctors employ a fanatical reliance on “objective” diagnostic studies, at least when the results are negative. These doctors who perform Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs)[More accurately known as Defense Medical Examinations (DMEs)] use a negative study to…
Handling Pennsylvania workers’ compensation cases, we see a wide variety of work injuries. From problems with the neck and the back, to shoulders, elbows, knees, hands and everywhere in between. The one constant, though, is pain. Whether the injured worker has a herniated disc in the back, a broken arm,…
In Pennsylvania workers’ compensation, we see all sorts of injuries. Everything from a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder, to an ACL tear in the knee, to an amputation of a finger or toe, to a herniated disc in the neck or back – and everything in between. One thing…
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is a debilitating condition we see in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation all too often. This condition, whose sufferers experience tremendous, unrelenting, burning pain, has been known to develop from traumatic injury. Even when a work-related traumatic injury is not…
With the dangers of Swine Flu on the minds of everyone, but perhaps especially the minds of those workers in the healthcare industry, this article from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) may be of interest. Ironically, this article was posted on March 31, 2008, long before the current Swine…
An article in the New York Times, talking about how insurance company’s “Independent Medical Examiners” (IME) may not be acting truthfully, hit home to me. Though the article deals specifically with New York workers’ comp, their system is close enough to Pennsylvania’s that comparisons are valid. While I urge folks…
According to a recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, physical therapy, combined with anti-inflammatory medication, is the most effective treatment for low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease. As many injured workers know, one can have degenerative changes in their lumbar spine without…
In an interesting study, posted on www.medscape.com, patients with lumbar disc herniations have been found to recover better than those patients who refuse surgery to concentrate on medications, exercise and physical therapy. An injured worker suffering a herniated disc in his or her back (or neck, for that matter) is…