In case you haven't already done so, please make sure you don’t have something mechanically wrong with your foot. There are some types of conditions that are associated with RSD that can cause changes in the bones. You might have something going on in there other than the RSD pain. Maybe there is a crack in a bone, too. It would be good to get a look-see.

I have suddenly developed sharp pains that I attributed to RSD. After a few months, I saw my orthopedic surgeon. He is blaming a lot of the pain on the screw heads. (I have six long screws from a fusion surgery.) He recommends taking them out. I am hesitant about the trauma setting off a flare-up.

So, he gave me a prescription for a topical treatment developed for osteoarthritis pain, called Voltaren Gel. This is kind-of like putting on a Lidocaine patch. Whereas a patch is limited to a surface it can adhere to, the gel can go on any shape. It dries in about ½ hour and you can then put on your sock, slipper, whatever.

I will probably need to have the surgery someday, but this helps the pain in the meantime.

Mike