Hi Cindi1965,
I have the same problem with toes spreading too...especially the big toe to the other toes. I have a separation between those toes that you can really notice. And I have another toe (second from smallest toe) that is so curled up and atrophied it is terrible. It is like the middle three toes are curled together. Strange. I noticed it about 3 years into rsd full body. My entire body is atrophied especially my right foot where the trauma all started. I too used to wear heels and had pretty decent legs and now I feel like my whole body is a mess and I had ketamine iv done in Sept 2010 which turned into a nightmare and made me worse so sometimes I look at my body (when I can dare get in the tub because the air just kills me) and I think "Wow, I worked my whole life taking care of my body and now it is a mess!" Before this mess, I had taken yoga and was in the best shape of my life...I was getting ready to sign up for kickboxing classes haha. I never took any meds...maybe a half Tylenol if I had a bad headache or something and over the years I have tried just about every med at least once to see if it would work. The only thing I can say is to keep your body moving when you can. For example, it is almost midnight and this is the best time for me when I can move the most so here I am online and I just cleaned the dishes in the sink from all day. I do stretch my foot/ankle all around but I haven't found anything to take all the atrophy away. All my muscles are wasting away. It is sad. BUT I keep in mind that God has a reason I don't know to keep me like this. I try to laugh at least a good belly laugh once per day and keep on going. Today was a good one...someone said to me "Oh, Wed we are going to have rain." I said you don't need to tell me that since I am at least two days ahead of the forecasters haha. Sat my foot/leg felt like they were going to explode all day. It about drove me crazy. I just love when people say the stupidest (if that is a word) things to me. Ya gotta keep laughing (or else we cry). Take care and hang in there.
kathy d
P.S. I think it is amazing you are able to get tatoos!! The sound/vibration would set me through the roof. I always wanted to and planned when my son turned 18 to get a small one with him but then rsd came along. He is now 7 tatoos ahead of me haha. Oh well such is life.