Hi Becca71,

Sorry you are going through this.

You can't be more than a year in at this point, so you've been dealing with this awful thing for a relatively "short" time.

A long time ago I read this study (and several more) indicating the role free radicals and the inflammatory process plays in RSD:

http://rsds.org/wp-content/uploads/2...ee-radical.pdf

Taking this to heart, I applied 50% DMSO to the site several times daily, and took 600mg of NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) 3x daily. The above study separates subjects into DMSO and NAC only, but I had nothing to lose at that point, so I didn't take any chances and went with both. My line of thinking was "DMSO for the site, NAC for the spread." I don't know what the side effects are, and I didn't experience any, but caveat emptor, of course. Just sharing my experience.

Beyond that, I changed a lot of other things: An Apology, and a List of Crap I Did to Cure RSD It gets kinda weird in places, but feel free to go a la carte and pick any that resonate with you, and chuck the rest.

Also: There was a point several months in where I was still trying to work and meet deadlines from bed (couldn't walk yet) - I started getting the RSD "feeling" mirrored contralaterally in my left arm and shoulder. I also felt that "weaker" feeling in both arms and hands. This started just around the same time I started using DMSO/NAC. Really freaked out - went to the ER- went to an RSD pain mgt specialist at a teaching hospital --- they were all stumped and wanted to do a series of lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks and prescribe more medication prior to recommended PT/OT/counseling. (I elected not to proceed with the recommendations and continue with/expand my own PT/regimen). Ultimately it did NOT spread, but I'm convinced that the stress of work combined with propping myself up in bed on one side for a long period of time was what exacerbated the potential for it. Agree with everyone above on taking it easy on that shoulder of yours - it's undergoing a lot of stress and so is that immune system!

I can HEAR your motivation in your frustration - and you're ready to do and are doing anything and everything you possibly can to fight this... Light range of motion stuff is all good and 100% necessary (use it or lose it definitely applies); but I also found that applying that motivation to rest and stress reduction techniques was equally as important. You can do this!