Hi Kellie,

Well, it sounds very similar to RSD, but there are many things which have similar symptoms.

The current thinking is that RSD results from damage to the subcutaneous sensory nerves - micro small.

Couple of things...the most common causes are injury, surgery and needle injection; has your Dad had any blood drawn in the affected areas? And has he had any injury there years ago? - Sometimes an old injury can be the cause, it doesn't have to be recent.

You set me wondering about the "gap" in the areas affected - both legs and feet are affected, but not between the ankle and the knee. Usually RSD begins in an arm or foot and spreads contiguously, it doesn't usually "jump" within the limb like that...I could be wrong there, though.

Did it start in one foot or leg before spreading? If not, and he has the problem in both legs simultaneously, that would seem to argue a problem somewhere in the spinal column.

In the small-fibre peripheral neuropathy area, "pinched nerves" is the one that is most easily confused with RSD. Also, there are several diseases that can mimic/be similar to RSD symptoms, e.g. arachnoiditis, MS, some forms of diabetes, TOS, discogenic disease, deep vein thrombosis, cellulitis, vascular insufficiency, lymphedema, erythromelalgia, Cauda Equina Syndrome...to name a few....
I'm surprised, given the symptoms, the doc didn't do some tests; but maybe he knows your Dad's history well enough.

HwRSD, you said:
Really? I have never heard that before, could you tell me where you found that info, please?

So....dunno Kellie, you'll have to do the rounds of doctors; remember that if it isn't RSD, if it's nerve compression for example, they can actually try to fix it mechanically, unlike RSD...so let's hope it's not RSD.

Let us know what happens,

all the best