Introduction In the United States, 54 million people have a disability and only 15% are born with a disability (Jaeger & Bowman, 2005). If a person lives long enough, it is statistically likely that they will develop some type of disability as they age (Jaeger & Bowman, 2005). At some point in your life you may have suffered a broken bone, a small cut, or some type of surgery. Imagine being in constant pain, so excruciating, after a minor injury that you may not even remember, that no amount of painkillers can make you feel comfortable (Lang & Moskovitz, 2003). Some additional symptoms you may experience are severe burning pain, changes in bones and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling, and extreme sensitivity to touch (Juris, 2005). These symptoms are associated with a disease called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), but more recently termed complex regional pain syndrome, type 1 (CRPS 1) (Juris, 2005). For simplification purposes, this disease will be referred to as RSD in this document. The purpose of this document is to discuss an invisible disease called reflex sympathetic dystrophy and its impact on an individual's life. The framework that will be used is the strength and empowerment perspective to show some coping mechanisms that help the individual adapt to the impact this disease has on their life and how to improve their daily experience when dealing with the symptoms of this illness. This article will also discuss four policy recommendations that could be used to improve the patient's overall health and tools to manage this life-altering experience. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy RSD is a hypersensitized nervous condition that is considered... half of article... ....5. doi:10.1046/j.1526-4637.2002.02029.xJaeger, P., & Bowman, C. (2005). Understanding Disability: Inclusion, Access, Diversity, and Civil Rights, Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Jansson, B. (2012). Shaping a new society in the wilderness. In Seth Dorbin, Arwen Petty, and Alicia McLaughlin (eds.), The Reluctant Welfare State. Location: Linda Schreiber-Ganster.Juris, E. (2005). Positive options for reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Berkeley CA: Hunter House Publishers. Lang, L., & Moskovitz, P. (2003). Living with RSDS. Oakland CA:New Harbinger Publications, Inc.Zastrow, C., & Kirst-Ashman, K. (2013). Introduction to human behavior and the social environment. In Seth Dobrin, Arwen Petty, Alicia McLauglin, & Elizabeth Momb (eds.), Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment. Location: Linda Schreiber Ganster.