Author's opening note: Perhaps it is now time to review all that has been written here in this series of articles. What can be gleaned from them as a quick guide to the patient that has just been introduced to the Neuropathies - by way of first hand experience.
INTRODUCTION
In the course of the last six months - much has been written about the various aspects of the PNS Neuropathies - with a special emphasis on Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). What I attempt here now - is to distill out the best and most pertinent of information and construct a quick guide for the new patient who has just contracted any of the neuropathic diseases and is bewildered by the entire process. This "quick guide" may be of some use to this patient - and provide the information necessary to plan a sound strategy and what to expect from the medical industry and what the nature of the disease is and what choice may result in a better prognosis than any other choice.
THE ETIOLOGIES (CAUSES) OF THE DISEASE
Presently it is known and documented that the following etiologies are responsible for the root cause of neuropathic disease.
1. Unfilterable Red Blood Cells - Cannot pass through the microvascular system. 2. Global Vasoconstriction - Caused by misbehavior of the Sympathetic Nervous system. 3. Regional Vasoconstriction - Caused by regional damage to the microvascular system. 4. Regional Nerve Damage - Caused by failure or damage to one or more nerves. 5. Spontaneous Occurrance.
PATHOGENESIS
The pathogenesis is a description of how it is that the disease is made to present itself. That is the conditions that bring about the realization of the disease. In some cases the disease appears to be spontaneously induced. In other cases - the disease appears to result as if directly caused by some precipitating trauma. And while this list below, may seem comprehensive, it is not necessarily complete - for there may be many as of yet - unknown etiologies (causes).
1. Unfilterable Red Blood Cells
When it is the case that the patient's red blood cells are larger in diameter than the capillaries of the microvascular system - then it is possible to suffer reduced oxygenation (hypoxia) of the attached tissue. Thus we have normal blood flow - but with reduced oxygen content. The net effect is identical to vasoconstriction in the affected region.
