Catra, you know I'm not a doctor but any dr that causes you any amount of pain just to see how much pain you're in doesn't sound right to me. My drs don't do any cold wipe or needle tests on me. Especially in my initial rsd site.

And if they tried I would drop them like a hot potato and find a new dr who knows that aggravating any rsd site can only cause the pain and spread to get worse. Also, cold and ice are never a good thing to apply to an rsd area. It can further damage the small fibers nerves and aggravate the rsd causing more flare ups.

At least this is what I have read, been told by my drs and have experienced when I saw an acupuncturist who kept applying needles to my original rsd site and my physical therapist who kept applying ice to my rsd wrist and caused more damage to my nerve fibers and wrist.

I don't see either of them anymore. I didn't know at the time that what they were doing was wrong until it was too late.

A drs oath is to first do no harm and it makes me very upset when I read about them causing undo pain to a patient. To me that is considered harm.

I hope you're not upset with me for telling you this. I am just worried about you and I have also had drs do unnecessary things to me causing my rsd to spread and flare up. These have been the drs who say they know what rsd is, when they really have no clue.

As for the numbness, I have numbness sometimes in my fingers and then it turns to pins and needles and then aching and burning pain. They swell, turn red with purple mottling, and it hurts to move them once the numbness wears off.

I just try to do the best I can with what I have. Every day is different for me with the pain. I rarely have numbness but it is annoying when I do.

I hope that whatever you decide to do this day forward, that you either try to educate your dr on rsd or find a new dr. I don't want to see you in any more pain. We all suffer enough pain with rsd.

And I know our spouses can get upset sometimes with us, but when mine starts getting upset when I can't do certain things, I calmly remind him that I have rsd and that I cannot always do simple things that most healthy people can do.

He just needs a gently reminder someday. We deserve to be heard and we deserve to take care of ourselves. As I said earlier, we are suffering enough.

I hope your pain and numbness subsides and am sending virtual prayers and hugs your way my friend.