Hi Nigel, Im sorry to hear about your pain. I have had CRPS for almost four years now and I can understand how the pain can really tear you apart. Everyones symptoms are different and everyone reacts differently. Some people swell up constantly while others goes through periods of hibernation. I just wanted to comment on your question about the symptoms. I had been getting these jolting spasms from the begining but never realized they were associated with my CRPS because they came so infrequent and I also didnt know til a year and a half ago I even had CRPS. It wasnt til recently(past 6 months) that I have associated them with my CRPS. They come around 6 times a day. Like a jolt of lightening going through my body. They hurt pretty bad. Nothing compared to my foot but bad enough to make me cry. So, even though they started at the begining they did not really affect me til years down the line. Another symptom that is very knew to me is the pain I feel in my leg. Right before I am going to get a swelling attack I got this horrible pain in my lower leg. Like someone kicked my in the shin. I never had that prior to recently. So people dont always get all the symptoms at once. Im not saying you have CRPS, only a doctor can diagnose you with that but its a possibility. I pray you do not though. I am 26 years old, 23 when I got it, and I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy. It really changes your life forever. I have it in my right foot. I lost my job when it happened because I worked in an office and I was on my feet all day and I couldnt physically do it anymore. I can only usually last 30 min at the most on my feet and that is if I am standing in one position with most of my weight beared on the "good" foot. Cant sit for to long either because that causes swelling attacks. Due to my swelling attacks, and the restriction of blood flow to the foot when they happen, I have lost bone mass in my right foot. Eventually I will no longer be able to bare any weight on that foot because it will be so brittle. I will be wheelchair bound. This is a terrible condition and I hope you have the pinched nerve others have posted about. My advice is to keep seeing doctors. I have seen 25-30 different doctors before finding my current doctor who is amazing! I have been treated for many different things over the past 4 years and as soon as I realize the treatment didnt work I moved on to another doctor. Actually, some doctors were so baffled they even told me not to come back and see them because they cannot help me! It was frustrating at times but I didnt give up. I kept going until I found my dr. He is a life saver. Im not cured but atleast he was able to treat me so I felt a little better. One last thing, if you do end up finding out you have CRPS do not let any doctor push you back into physical therapy. I think the physical therapy is what caused the spasms to occur more frequently. I let them push me to far and now stuck with these horrible spasms coming way more often. I know some people who do physical therapy feel better from it and im glad they found something that helps them but for some it may not. I wish I would of spoken up when I was doing it because maybe I wouldnt have these spasms coming so much now. Keep us posted on your condition! I hope you get better really soon!

Vanessa