Welcome Aussie Land,

So sorry you had to come find us but it is a soft place to land. I agree you need complete work up and the possibility of nerve entrapment or damage should always be explored after surgery. This can be checked with a nerve conduction study or "scratch collapse" test. But Russ is right, DON'T lose valuable time, there's no reason not to start treating for CRPS. You need pain control and light exercise, moving the limb is imperative. This might mean getting in a pool every day to keep the blood moving and start working that leg without strain. The water feels great when you can't walk. Use a buoyancy belt if you have to.

How far out are you post-op? Feet take longer than any other body part and have more problems because of their position. I feel like the swelling and inflammation become cumulative. I say this after 3 foot-ankle procedures in a year. My surgeon, who is on a lower extremity reconstruction team at a tertiary referral center, says starting to put the limb down is imperative to retrain the autonomics, which can go haywire in the LE even without CRPS. This can mean beginning at 5 minutes per hour and progressing very slowly. It can take a number of weeks to months to come back even in normal circumstances. It is okay to go slow. You don't want pain flare up.

If your wound is healed they may consider a short round of steroids in addition to whatever they are giving you for pain. These can be helpful in the beginning and knock down the inflammation enough to let you participate better in rehab. Also a German researcher Franz Blaes has shown an autoimmune component to CRPS and steroids can address that.

Try not to panic. All the hyperbole on the Internet can convince you this is a sentence for life but in reality most people do get better over time. Many of the big researchers support this. My own doctors all subscribe to this concept after their own experiences with CRPS patients. Ignore the doomsday websites and arm yourself with knowledge. Watch the video by Dr. Pradeep Chopra on RSDS.org, it is informative with lots of tips on diet, meds, therapy, etc. He does not recommend jumping in with a spinal cord stimulator or anything like that. He gives a rational platform from which to start. Most importantly don't give up, get your stubborn on and fight this thing five minutes at a time. Slow incremental progress is the way. I am now walking a mile after nine months on crutches. Used every assistive device you can think of to get there and took my time. You WILL make improvements. Come here when you need support and hang in there!

Sending Healing Love,
Littlepaw