I'm kind of weird anyway so take it when I tell you what happened. It was bad for the first 5 months. I learned to walk on my own again and one day......gone!! :O Just gone. I don't know why or how, it just did. Lots of rsd'ers have swelling and it stays with them, unfortunately.

As for the color change only being there when your foot is down is due to blood flow. When it's down the blood rushes down as well and because we have a lack of proper circulation that's when it shows. When you lay down your legs and feet are now elevated and thus look "normal" again. The first doc I saw hiked my leg and foot in the air and says "See, it's looking better already!" Well DUH!! You just elevated my leg and foot dumb butt!!!!! *rolls eyes* Geez..... So that's they "why" of why it only turns colors when the leg and foot are down.

My rsd started after I broke my kneecap on a broken handle at work. Unfortunately the ER had said my knee was only "badly bruised". Pffttt. I found out 8 months later after my first bone scan that it had been broken. It showed up on it plain as day! There shines like a beacon a healing fracture in the knee. *sigh* If I'd known that I sure as heck wouldn't have been walking on it a week and a half after I got hurt!!

I think most of us take a muscle relaxer. I've been on baclofen for about 3 years now. I think it has probably helped you. I started taking it because my jerking arms and legs got to the point I couldn't stand it anymore. You know how when you jerk a puppet's string it's arm or leg does that movement? That's why mine would do anytime, except it wouldn't stop for sometimes an hour or more. That was so aggravating! It rarely does it now but if I'm in a lot of pain or try to stand or walk too long, my left leg especially will start jerking and won't stop.

Hugs,

Karen