Ada, I believe I either started a thread or commented on this very subject sometime ago. I believe they are different, however, there is to me a link between phantom pain and RSD. Mirror therapy is a treatment used for both conditions. As far as I know phantom pain appears to stay put in the mind of the person whose limb is missing and yet that limb is in pain. As we all know RSD spreads.

Delaney, I think your doctor is incorrect. The reason you would think twice in amputating an RSD limb is it could or most likely spread to other parts of your body. However, if the doctor thought RSD is phantom pain then he could be correct, again however, RSD has and does show physical abnormalities thus one can conclude RSD is not a phantom. I'm not saying phantom pain is not real, I believe it is very real because RSD exists.

Confusing stuff.