I am sorry that you have had to come and join us here, but welcome to NeuroTalk! There are a lot of great people here that are willing to share their own experiences and what information that they have found along the way.

CRPS is rather difficult to diagnose and treat. We all have that moment of - Can it be anything else? It is not the end of the world if it is, since for most people, it can be managed fairly well once you find a treatment that works for you. Do not go by the 3 phase bone scan alone. It is not a definitive test to diagnose CRPS. Find a doctor that is familiar with the Budapest Criteria, but also find one that you feel comfortable with. I did not feel like the first 2 pain management doctors I saw were treating me correctly, so I started calling and interviewing others before finding the one I have now. It is a learning experience for both my doctor and myself and because of that, there have been a few mistakes made along the way. He is willing to listen to me and make changes as soon as it is realized that something is not working.

Be prepared to travel to see someone. When I originally found my pain management doctor, I lived in Metro Detroit and only 30 minutes from his office. I have since had to move in with my parents again which makes for a 3 hour drive there and back. We make the trip over the course of 3 days and stay at either my sister's house, or a rental house that my Dad owns. I have not been able to find anyone closer that I am willing to switch to.

I would also recommend watching the Chopra video. He is very informative on the different treatments and diagnostic criteria that are used today. I do not take LDN myself, but it does seem to help a lot of others with CRPS. It is just a matter of finding a doctor that will prescribe it. The best thing to do is to try to keep things moving. Like the others have said, aqua therapy is great for this. It takes much of the weight off of your legs and work on any gait issues you may have. I have not yet checked out our local pool, but am on the dock every evening kicking my feet in different directions just to help a little with blood flow, the lake is very shallow and as a result, the water is in the 80s right now. Even that small amount helps some. One last thing, stay away from ice. My doctor's care sheet says to use it to help reduce any swelling. When I brought it up with him, he was surprised that his staff put that on there. Ice should not be used as it can make things worse.

I hope you are able to find the right doctor for you. Please keep us posted and take care.