Originally Posted by Lisa I

From what I learned there is no single diagnostic test to determine RSD or causalgia. It is primarily based on the symptoms that are presented. When my husband first had the problem they sent him to a Pain Clinic. The doctor there was the first to discuss RSD/causalgia with us. He did 2 sympathetic blocks to which my husband had no relief. He said that it was not RSD/causalgia if he didn't respond to the blocks. I have since read that this is not true. Not all rsd sufferers respond to these pain blocks. If you don't it just means your pain is my sympathetically maintained, but it doesn't mean you don't have RSD. So be careful of falling into that trap. The Pain Clinic doctor did tell us that early treatment is crucial to slowing the disease (which I have also read is very true), so when he said he didn't have RSD/causalgia we then thought things would get better over time on their own (they didn't). My husband was in that early onset phase and I'm afraid we have now missed the time to possibly stop this disease. The point I'm making is 1) there is no single diagnostic test and 2) if they rule it out don't just accept that, find another doctor and 3) don't give up on treatment

Best of luck to you.