I have found through my experience in health care and now as a patient that both subjective and objective data is crucial. You mentioned increased sweating as noted by PT, this is subjective. If you had a QSART test, also known as a sweat test, and the results we positive that would be objected.

What scares me more than anything is knowing there are physicians that would give this diagnosis without properly ruling out other conditions. Are you diabetic? Have you been tested for autoimmune disorders?

You mentioned bone loss, which is atypical for a person of your age and activity level. I would wonder if your delayed healing time is a result of the noted bone loss. I have broken many toes during my 13 years of playing soccer, so I can relate. I do remember being too stubborn to rest and let it heal before getting back on the field. The healing time was so varied from weeks to months, depending on where the break was and what treatment I received.

I noticed you mentioned Toledo a while back, and I am in no way suggesting that the physicians are not qualified, but have you thought about going to the Cleveland Clinic. Before I considered attempting a more invasive procedure I went to the Clinic for another opinion. Dr Stanton-Hicks is an considered an expert in CRPS and is one of the authors in articles you have mentioned. I saw both him and Dr. Bruce Vrooman, another well published physician, and the examined me and went over all of my test results and physician notes. It was after seeing them, 5 months after my official diagnosis, that I accepted the the CRPS diagnosis.

In my honest opinion I would be a little hesitant of doctors who aren't more conservative in their treatment. Refresh my memory please as to what was done before the nerve block. I would suggested desensitization therapy, including mirror therapy.

One other thing is I have a huge problem with the word "normal" being used in medicine. As I would tell my patients what is "normal" for me may not be "normal" for you. I believe that when we think that what we are experiencing is not "normal" we often get fixated on fear of not being "normal".

Sorry for such a long post.