Hello I am new to this kind of thing my boyfriend has RSD/CRPS & this is a condition I am still learning about. We are interested in this STS machine but apart from a few articles relating to the website of a Dr Donald Rhodes we can find very little information on the machine, it's creditability what it's functions are, a little while back I came across a conversation on here between two people who were familiar with it's use one lady I think had said that she knew someone who was a masseur I think & was qualified to use it.

I thought I saved the page but obviously I didn't. Neither of us have the kind of funds to go see this Dr Rhodes guy, & there was talk about him telling a doctor in the place where you live on how to use this thing. My boyfriend is at his wits end, & although he hasn't attempted it as yet, he has indicated that he is considering suicide as a way to end the daily intolerable pain he is in. It breaks my heart to see him like this, I just want to find a way in which to help him. If anyone can help me or at least steer me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely Meekobindi.

I am not that familiar with this treatment. For myself though and my rsd I can't even handle a finger on the areas so tens or this would not work for me. We are all different of course though in how we respond and how sensitive. Has he had any other procedure or treatments? If you do a search at the top you can put in STS or similar key words and threads will come up about this.

Has your BF discussed different options with the doctor or let the doctor know just how close he is to wits end? I am so sorry to hear that he is feeling this way and that he has to deal with this horrible condition. Unfortunately a lot of stuff is just trial and error and it can take a while to find out what helps in managing the pain. What has been tried so far?

I'm sorry that I don't know anything about STS machines but there are a lot of people on here who are very knowledgeable who may be able to help you out with more information. Also try daniella's suggestion if you haven't tried that already...the search option has helped me find stuff before that I knew I read a while ago but was so far back that I couldn't find it.

Sending my best to you and your BF. You can get through this, it just unfortunately take time sometimes to get the relief he is looking for. I know that's not very comforting when you are suffering, but just keep pushing and being your own advocate with the doctor. Don't give up on finding the answers...they are out there.

It is really hard to say not knowing personally about this STS. Has he had any injections, PT, tried any medications etc? Does he see a psychologist for the depression part? It is a hard disease to treat and fight on a daily basis. The people on here know 1st hand and between all of us, there is nothing that hasn't been heard of. Don't give in and don't give up. It may take a while to try a bunch of stuff to get where he can manage the pain, not cure it, but it can happen, he needs to find a good doctor and try a lot of combinations of things. But do a search at the top for STS or start a new thread topic STS and I am sure you will get replies.

Good luck to you both and keep us all posted please. We will keep you in our thoughts here!!

Very sad to hear your BF wants to end it all and I commend you for standing by his side! Your support is so very important. I've talked to Dr. Rhodes before, very pleasant person, to me very mixed results on his machine. As others have posted if you can tell us what current and past treatments he has received would help others help you and your BF.

There are several posts about Dr. Rhodes and his treatments on NeuroTalk, very recent ones too. Do a search on these threads.

jim&suzy

Thank you all for your input it is much appreciated, my b/f has had nerve blocks, spinal stimulator's, TENS, meditation & although that helps a little it's only short lived, many pain meds little if anything has worked well enough to give him relief,in the latter half of last year he had morphine injection for the morphine pump trail & that caused it's own set of problems, from hallucinations to panic attacks, & pain so intense when it wore off that he wanted to die,so he doesn't want to go ahead with it, even the slow release pills he takes are not having the desired affect for long enough & they cause him bowel problems by binding him up. Add to that he now has diabetes due to the RSD from lack of exercise, heat & humidity leave him reeling, as does bad weather. ED which is causing him stress since he no longer feels like a man should. testosterone injections make the RSD even more excruciatingly painful. He suspects he may have either an enlarged prostate or worse yet cancer, & he is waiting for a doctors appointment.
My b/f has little faith in his pain management doctor, as the doctor told him that liquid morphine is NOT addictive. If it was NOT addictive then why is it a government controlled drug & why are so many people the world over addicted to it.
He also feel that if he says that he is having suicidal thoughts that they will just right him off as a head case no more said. It took him four years to even get any doctor to consider that he has RSD, & even then he in effect diagnosed what he had himself, then it was later confirmed. in the last eight years it's been a constant roller coaster, almost all of his family & friends have long since abandoned him. When I came into his life he had all but given up, on himself on life & on love.

I just want to be able to help him in any way possible, but trying to find out the things I need is like being lost in a maze.

Thank you all for your thoughts & ideas, bless you all, it helps to know that I have somewhere I can have a voice & with any luck be able to feel useful to someone I care so much about.

Meekobindi

I am one of the ones in the STS discussion thread. Dr Rhodes' lawyers have sent me a cease and desist lawyer so suffice it to say, these comments are my OPINION only, which legally I am allowed to say.
My OPINION is that the machine did not work for my daughter, my OPINION is that South Texas Innovative Medicine did not offer me my money back when asked. My OPINION is that Dr Rhodes will not release my medical records to me, my daughter and two medical offices that have requested them. Enough said!

But after two fairly hopeless years of watching my daughter in extreme pain and agony, what has finally given us hope is ketamine infusions. She has been pain free for what will be six weeks tomorrow and on Thursday my heard was singing. My all state volleyball daughter went on the court and played volleyball. I can't say when I have ever been happier.


What I will say to all is that now that my daughter's pain is relieved we are struggling. The doctors say it is post traumatic stress disorder. It has been such a long tough two years and now that our lives are not filled up with medical appts, pills and ER visits and sleepless nights, we have time to reflect on all we have been thru. So to all (including my family), I would definitely recommend counseling to help you process all that is RSD.

You are a very kind person to be so caring for him. I know our conditions impact our loved ones so I hope you have support too.
I can relate to having little faith in doctors. It sounds like he has tried a lot. Has it all been with one pain doc? Is there a way he could see a psychiatrist that is separate from his pain/neuro doctor? I know it won't take away his physical pain but the mental support may help cope with it better.
I wish I could offer more. It seems not very many know about this treatment which concerns me I guess. I would ask the doctor and I am so cautious but what the success rate is,what happens if he becomes worse,and if you can speak to a couple patients on their experience with it. Obviously the doc will not have you speak to someone who had a bad one but still it can give you more feedback on it. I have mixed feelings on ketamine but has he looked into that?
You said that it took awhile to get dx with rsd but did they do a lot of dx testing to rule out other conditions as well? For ex I have RSD and PN. Others here too have mulitple conditions and sometimes I wonder if that makes treating the pain harder.
Feel better to both of you