Hi. Shelmora notes that with most people it takes 15 years to spread to all limbs. I'm assuming this is a reference to The Natural History of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Schwartzman RJ, Erwin KL, Alexander GM, Clin J Pain 2009; 25: 273-280, free full text at http://www.rsds.org/2/library/articl...lexanderGM.pdf. If anyone hasn't seen it, consider it as required reading. And indeed, the article states that:

Contiguous spread occurred in most patients early (1 to 2 y) and remained the most common type of spread during the first 10 years. Spread to other extremities occurred throughout the disease process with no specific pattern whereas generalized (all extremities) spread was most prominent late in the disease process (after 15 y). [p. 275.]

There are a number of take home points in the article, the most salient being:

This study shows that although CRPS is a progressive disease, after 1 year, most of the signs and symptoms were well developed and demonstrate only moderate increases with disease duration. [p. 227]

What this means, in effect, is that there is only a slow progression from wherever you are at the one year mark. (Another reason why intervention in the acute stage is so important.)

The other thing of note - although off topic for this thread - is the discussion of "cognitive and memory difficulties" at p. 278. Eight years into this, I'm aware of this big time, what we used to call "brain rot." But any more on that is properly the subject of another thread.

Mike