Originally Posted by hollyk24

They may be doing the test to exclude out any other possible cause, like a nerve entrapement or other nerve issue that the emg could detect.

You are correct that rsd is a clinical diagnosis, but it's usually only made when all other possible causes have been excluded, so that's likely why your doctor is ordering the test. There is currently no test that can show positivly that one has rsd.

If you do have something like a nerve entrapement then it's usually something that can be fixed with surgery so that would be a good thing. If it does turn out that rsd is your diagnosis, aggressive treatment is neccesary to try to put it into remission. The odds are the best when it's treated in the first 6 months to year of injury, and physical therapy and keeping moving even though it hurts is really important to avoid the permanent damage that can occur with rsd. It SUCKS! And it HURTS. You've got to learn how to push yourself, but not hurt yourself too much.

Someone told me life with rsd is like living on the edge of a sharp knife. You've got to balance yourself - do to little excersize and you'll hurt yourself, do too much and you'll hurt yourself, and everyones knife has a different blade. You've got to figure out how sharp your blade is and figure out how to balance on it . . . And your blade can change each day. It's tough, so you've got to be strong, but you will find that you are a much stronger person then you may have thought you were.

This place is a wonderful place to come for information and support, or a place to vent your frustrations, get advice, or just find some people who can understand what you're going through. It can really be an invauluable resource when you have a question or just need someone to talk to that knows what it's like to live with rsd.