"For a GREAT article on the subject, written for the general reader, see, "The Painful Truth: The Iraq war is a new kind of hell, with more survivors - but more maimed, shattered limbs - than ever, a revolution in battlefield medicine is helping them conquer the pain," by Steve Silberman, Wired, Issue 13.02 - February 2005 http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1...ain&topic_set= The story tells the tale about how one anesthesiologist from Walter Reed revolutionized the treatment of horrific battlefield injuries, all by pumping local anesthetics into the site of the wound. "

Hi Mike,

Great article. This is the same technique I was given following my surgery in Germany this past summer. I had the pump going continuously for 1 week. German doctors consider this the "gold standard" for treating newly diagnosed RSD cases and have been using it with great success for years (they call it a peridural anesthesia for the lower limbs). For the upper limbs my doctor said that they can access the nerves through a spot somewhere in the neck area. I'm happy to see that it is finally making its way to North American hospitals because it will make a huge difference.

MsL