Salford doctor awarded grant to investigate rare, crippling disease
A Salford doctor has been awarded a major grant of £104,500 from the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) to investigate a rare but often crippling rheumatic disease.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is a complex pain syndrome, which is difficult to diagnose and treat, and can develop after fractures and other injuries. It leads to painful swelling and excruciating pain, usually of the hand and wrist, or ankle and knee, along with temperature changes and sweating. In extreme cases, amputation of the limb is necessary, although even then patients may suffer phantom limb pain.
Now Dr Rachel Gorodkin, a specialist registrar in rheumatology, is to spend the next two years on an arc clinical research fellowship at Hope Hospital in Salford trying to understand more about the disease.
“RSD is a poorly understood condition, but we believe that changes in the very small blood vessels (the microcirculation) are likely to play a key role, and may drive the disease process by causing the tissues to be deprived of oxygen,” explained Dr Gorodkin.
“We are currently conducting some arc-funded pilot studies of the microcirculation in RSD, and we aim to expand upon these, studying 30 patients with RSD and 30 healthy people.
“We will examine skin blood flow and oxygen supply in affected and unaffected limbs in patients with RSD and healthy people. If we find out that the blood flow and oxygen supply are compromised in limbs affected by RSD, this will suggest new approaches to treatment.”
The Arthritis Research Campaign is the fourth biggest medical research charity in the UK, raising more than £26m from public donations in the past 12 months to fund its extensive research programme. Manchester is a leading centre of arc-funded research.
