Trudy,

So sorry to hear about your mother. You are a good daughter in advocating for her with this. This website is a good place for information and support.

CRPS (or RSD if you will) is a unique and kind of rare condition. Because of that, it is VERY important that your mother get multiple opinions early in the process as CRPS is an extremely misunderstood, even by professionals. I just cannot emphasize this enough. So seeing that anesthesiologist is a very good idea; keep that appointment. I've seen doctors that have seen a fair amount of it, and I saw one doctor that had actually treated only 2 cases in 26 years. Those are the doctors that you do not use. Hopefully somebody that lives in Virginia can chime in with more specific recommendations on who your mother could see.

But when you see any professional, it is very important that you ask the following question directly to them: How many cases of CRPS have you treated?? Don't be shy. You need to know how well versed they are with CRPS. Your mother has to be her own advocate with her treatment here, as experience levels and treatment techniques can vary widely.

The first line of neurontin and nerve block is often suggested as treatment. In fact, that is exactly how I was handled. For me the neurontin is a godsend, it is the mainstay drug for my CRPS. I had the nerve blocks but they didn't help me, possibly because it took too long for my CRPS to be diagnosed. Time is of the essence here as the first 6 months are the most critical time for taming this condition.

What you'll find for certain is that everybody is different with CRPS. What works for one may or MAY NOT work for another. If neurontin isn't working well for your mother, that information has to be fed back to the doctors and there are other meds that can and should be tried. It is often a trial and error and to be honest, it may take a while to find what works best. Most often, a "multi-disciplinary approach" works best. Very rarely can this condition be successfully treated with just one modality like meds.

I'll give you a link to some websites that will provide far more information than what I can. The information provided within these links has been very helpful to me. I have chronic pain, but because of my treatment team (podiatrist, chiropractor, G.P, massage therapist, physical therapist and occasionally a pain mgmt. doc), I am quite a bit better than I was not long ago. Your mother will likely need a "team" of professionals as well.

Good luck to you and your mother. Check back and keep us posted......

http://www.podiatrytoday.com/article/2672

http://www.rsdfoundation.org/index.html

http://www.rsds.org/index2.html

http://rsdrx.com/

http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/