AJ;
It seems your "former" ortho is worried about his liability, or well, who knows? His ego got busted down... Do with that what you will... Seriously!

Get on to getting as best as you can be..
RSD is not curable.

I'm going to tell you a bit about my nerve blocks by the MAN, DR Schwartzman, in Philly.
They were done oh, say around 1989ish....?
But, they were done only on a DIAGNOSTIC BASIS!

In other words, they do a nerve block, in the AM, EARLY! (One of those GIANT ***'d Stainless steel needles that hang on the wall with others, handed down from generation to the next.. I saw that thing taken off the wall, and my "stats" started beeping. OK, something like Valium 50mg was introduced (nice intro, huh?).
The guys feels around those two kind of WTHeck are they called, one on either side of my Adam's apple, yea, he gets it and sticks that GIANT thing into my neck, right next to that (tendon, or whatever it is), right above my collar bone. (STOP, if you put your hand there, you can feel it).
So, he sticks it in, (I"m awake), and all my monitors are beeping again!) My feet are NOT on the bed! (Can you imagine? This GIANT TWO FOOT NEEDLE is stuk in my neck, and he's "diggin" around with it!) AGH!!!!!!
Oh Lord!
That friggin' "Needle" is in me, and, he starts "digging around" with it. ARGH! I could feel/hear the ripping/tearing that the needle was doing! Can you feel that? WHAT? YES!!!!!!
Pump in more relaxer...
As if it's gonna help now....
(remember, I was taken out of full sleep, to do this).

YAK! More digging and tearing, OUCH! He's shooting that stuff (who knows what?) into me.
Okay. Whew........................
I'm rolled back to my room, and rolled into bed.
Doctor Schwartzman comes in, on morning rounds with a dozen students, (as usual). which is fine w/me.

My entire right side of my face, and arm, are NUMB!, back through my shoulder and all that.
BUT, AND
HOWEVER!
The Pain was still there!

Dr S, says, I knew it, you're too far gone.

Meaning, Too far gone for a Sympathectamy!

(Do they still do those?)

This is all I know about "Nerve Blocks", they were diagnostic, NOT Treatment!
(Yes, I understand that the "cycle of pain" must be broken, as pain, begets pain". But, that's still another "thought / theory" that if they break the "cycle", it will stop the pain. IMHO, NOT LIKELY!)
Stopping the cycle is Great! But, it WILL restart!

They've got to "break the cause!"
RSD is not a Cycle.
It is cause and reaction!

So then, they did this again when it moved to my legs. Same thing over again.
Same agony. (Easier to ignore in my *** and leg) sorry.

Nerve blocks are not a treatment, IMHO.
They're diagnostic only.
I am not a doctor.

Yet, I want to be shown a doctor, who has cured rsd, or even helped it for a while, with nerve blocks.?*

*there are specialized situ's where a nerve block, may help for a month, and thus, keep you from taking daily meds that may affect your function. That's completely different, and I have very little knowledge of it. I do know that my own doctor has it done. Yet, he has it done for his back, I know of Nobody, with Full body, who can get by on nerve blocks, if so, please tell me?

I wish you AJ, and all the rest, the very best of pain relief.
Meds affect us all differently. It's up to finding that "One Particular Doctor" who will stand with you, as a partner, and help you thwart this bastard off ya! And, keep it at Bay!

Pete
Asb