Hello and welcome bdarling,

I am so sorry you have had to come join us whatever the cause for your pain. If your doctor is right and you do have CRPS hold on to hope. 80% of people improve over time according to a Cleveland Clinic CRPS bigwig.

I agree with Jo*mar about the overlap with TOS symptoms from what you are describing and treatments are quite different. And A good chiro can indeed be quite helpful. The other thing to consider is whether a nerve impingment is causing CRPS. If so it should be treated as that will improve your outcome. I too would be concerned like you are about cervical stenosis.

In addition to chiropractic you might consider seeing a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor. They are often quite good at tracking down anatomical problems.

I am a big fan of second and even third opinions. Different specialties see the same problem through different lenses. If you feel you need a neurosurgical consult or other specialty to rule out any other causes then get one. All contributing factors should be ruled out before going with CRPS diagnoses. You need to feel comfortable and confident that nothing was missed. And the treatment for CRPS - movement, exercise, PT may aggravate a TOS or stenosis situation if that is part of the problem.

I encourage you to ignore the doomsday info on the internet about CRPS. What you see written out there and on here is often about the worst cases. CRPS is a spectrum and there are many treatments that will make life more comfortable. Neurontin will dampen angry nerve signals and nortriptyline in low doses down regulates pain signaling. There is benefit in staying comfortable.

You may want to watch Dr. Pradeep Chopra's "CRPS Diagnosis and Management" video which is on YouTube. It is chock full of tips on treatment and comes from a well respected compassionate specialist. Sorry, I can't link right now...

Please come let us know how you're doing and be kind to yourself. It is very scary in the beginning but it does get easier and keeping your stress down is good all around. We are here for sharing and support.