Hi Dan,
CRPS isn't well understood. As such, if you want to know more i would recommend sticking to sources of information with high levels of trust such as journals, studies and renowned doctors. That being said here is my understanding:
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-Is the Nerve Block a good step to take right off the bat?
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Their are many kinds of "nerve blocks". They do seem to be the first step in treatment and many seem a reduction in symptoms from them.
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-Since this seems like it has been diagnosed early can I expect to have better results in management or remission?
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Most sources indicate that the close to the onset you can get treatment (though i have yet to pin down which treatment) the better your prognosis. By how much and in what way, I don't know.
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-How can I prevent this from spreading anywhere else in my body?
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- I haven't seen any resources of indicating a way to completely prevent spread.
How much and How often CRPS isn't well understood. With some studies indicating it happens rarely*1 and some suggesting its inevitable.*2
Avoid Injuries, as they are correlated with spread to a new area.*4
Avoid Ice, surgery and cast applications where possible*5
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-What are some of the life changes I should expect?
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Very hard to say as I believe CRPs is a blanket diagnosis used to cover several subtypes*3, which display slightly different characteristics. This argument refutes the staging of CRPS.
I believe most people see a relief in the first year of symptoms probable due to treatments and then a slightly increase in symptoms on and off for the rest of their life. Then again, some studies suggest a lot of people are either healed or go into remission.
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-Since the pain in in my foot and ankle what is the best home relief remedy that has worked for you?
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CRPS hasn't been well studied. Which and how much treatments work seem to be something of a mystery. People have seen improvements in anything from counseling to nerveblocks. *6
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Don't assume because i linked to these studies that i interpenetrated them correctly. Here is a great resource that was just published this year by the American Pain Society was: The Outcome of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1:A Systematic Review
*1 Complex regional pain syndrome type I: incidence and prevalence in
Olmsted county, a population-based study
Paola Sandroni*, Lisa M. Benrud-Larson, Robyn L. McClelland, Phillip A. Low
*2 Spreading of complex regional pain syndrome: not a random process
Monique A. van Rijn, Johan Marinus, Hein Putter, Sarah R. J. Bosselaar, G. Lorimer Moseley, Jacobus J. van Hilten
*3 Complex regional pain syndrome: are there distinct subtypes and
sequential stages of the syndrome?
Stephen Bruehl a, *, R. Norman Harden b , Bradley S. Galer c , Samu
*4 Spreading of complex regional pain syndrome: not a random
process
Monique A. van Rijn • Johan Marinus •
Hein Putter • Sarah R. J. Bosselaar •
G. Lorimer Moseley • Jacobus J. van Hilten
*5 SPREAD OF COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME(CRPS)
H. Hooshmand, M.D. and Eric M. Phillips
Neurological Associates Pain Management Center
Vero Beach, Florida
*6 A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Survey of
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Amit Sharma, MD,* Shefali Agarwal, MPH,Þ James Broatch, MSW,þ and Srinivasa N. Raja, MDÞ