SFangel

Hi,

I was a pedestrian struck and injured by a car while crossing the street on a crosswalk. I suffered multiple injuries, some of which are disabling and permanent. Because of this accident, I developed RSD in my left knee/leg.

Because my case is a personal injury case, I have to go through an IME (Independent Medical Examination) ordered by the opposing counsel defending the person who injured me.

I am worried that the IME is going to cause severe pain to my left knee/leg because of the RSD I have there. To help me, I wrote this letter and had my doctor sign it.

........................................ ...............
Name of the RSD patient
Street address or P. O. Box number
City, state, ZIP code

Date

To Whom It May Concern:

The above-named patient is being treated for a disabling chronic pain condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) in the left knee/leg. This patient has been under my care since June 21, 2002.

Among other symptoms, RSD patients suffer from allodynia, hyperaesthesia, hyperalgesia, and hyperpathia.

Allodynia is pain, often severe, produced by stimuli to the skin that do not normally induce pain (such as touch, pressure, etc.) Hyperaesthesia is over-sensitivity to touch and light pressure. Hyperalgesia is increased sensitivity and lowered threshold to pain stimuli. Hyperpathia is excessive reaction to painful stimuli (the pain lasts longer than usual when the stimulus stops, etc.)

Any medical examination involving touch of and pressure on the patient's left knee/leg and any invasive test of the patient's left knee/leg (such as EMG-Electromyography and NCV test-Nerve Conduction Velocity test) will likely trigger severe pain.

To prevent these flare-ups, the patient's left knee/leg should not be touched and no pressure, even light, should be applied to the patient's left knee/leg. Besides that, no invasive test should be done on the patient's left knee/leg.

If this is not possible, the patient should receive an injection of short acting opioid to decrease the pain caused by invasive tests and by touching the patient's left knee/leg.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully yours,

Doctor's name and doctor's signature
........................................ ...............

What do you think? Do you believe this letter might help me when I go for the IME?

Thanks.