Iffynah wrote:
"I've always been trying to keep my shoulder moving so it doesn't stiff up"

Coffeebean wrote:
"I also had a severe frozen shoulder on the same side so I know how to keep my shoulder moving."

WOW. That sounds familiar. Three times over the last two-1/2 years I have had a shoulder "freeze up." This has been twice on the left and once on the right. I could only move my upper arm an inch or two in any direction and even that much was very painful. The first time, at an ER, they did an EKG because severe shoulder pain is a symptom of a heart attack.

Two times there was no apparent cause, and once it was after an injection into the shoulder. Because swelling is hard to see in the shoulder area, the doctors doubted it was RSD. They blamed it on tendonitis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Now, after hearing from you two, I am thinking it just might have been a flare-up of RSD. I know that is not any help to your question, but there might be a clue here.

How do you know when RSD is spreading? Well, since most doctors have a hard time with an RSD dx to begin with, you will be the first to know. Some or many of the RSD symptoms will be present and there is no other explanation. After a while, the doctors will "settle" on that diagnosis. A lot of the time, physicians mainly “rule out” other causes until nothing is left. (You will find out what it ISN’T).

Coffeebean had great advice. Do as much gentle exercise as you can tolerate. Remember, the old adage “no pain – no gain” is NOT true. Do not hurt yourself, but try to keep moving. Water is a great idea since it will give you support (buoyancy) and make the exercise easier.

Mike