Oh boy...that's a loaded question. There is currently no cure for RSD (one can only hope they will find one some day)...but if treated early and successfully it is possible to go into remission. This is why it is SO important to see someone ASAP and get treatment started if it is RSD. There are even people who have been able to go into remission after having it for a while, though those stories are less common. Catching it early is the best bet and that's why you need to see someone who knows about RSD. Regardless of when it is caught though, proper treatment is key and for that you need to see someone who knows what they are doing.

As far as knowing who knows about RSD...that's harder (and the following is just my personal opinion, other people may have different ideas). There are certainly signs when they DON'T know what they are doing...like when they make stupid comments like "RSD does not spread" or "RSD can only happen in a hand or foot"...or many many others. Most important, I think is that if the doctor doesn't appear to be taking you seriously and your symptoms seriously (even ones that are not present at the time of your first visit), then that may be a hint that this is not the right doctor for you.

Best bet (in my experience) is to do your homework (no easy task) and learn some of the basics so that you can ask the doctor questions about RSD and get a feel for their knowledge. Any doctor who isn't willing to discuss the condition with you, the different treatment options, etc is probably not a good fit in any case.

Also...reccomendations from someone with RSD in your area are always a good bet and a great place to start.

Good luck to you. I am not the most knowledgeable person on here and can really only speak to my own experience. Other members on here can give you lots of great information and help you with some of your questions much better than I can. To be honest I haven't had a lot of success finding the best doctors to treat my condition...so I wish you much better luck in this respect than I had. Best advice I can give you though is that if you don't think the doctor knows what they are talking about or giving you proper care...get a new one. With RSD (and I still pray it is not RSD for you) wasting months with a doctor who is not giving you good care can seriously ruin your life and mess you up. THIS is something I do know from experience.