I’m still on a desperate search to find a doctor in my area who can help me with my recent CRPS DX. I’ve left voicemails and emails for several pain management specialists all over town. I am hopeful that someone will get back with me after the holidays.

I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience to mine with the type of pain and sensations they feel. I appreciate you taking the time to look at my question and share your experience. I know no one on this site is medically qualified to tell me if what I am experiencing is RSD related or not - and that no two people seem to be affected by RSD the same way. I’m just curious if an achy feeling is custom with RSD (or if it’s always simply the shooting burning nerve sensations)?

Just a little background: I believe I’ve had crps my entire life. I’ve suffered with pain and swelling in my ankles and legs since I was a kid and injured them playing soccer. The pain and burning sensations in my legs increased after both the birth of my son and a fall on my knee in 1998. After the fall, my knee continued to swell and would not heal. I was told by an ortho that sometimes they can’t explain things and don’t even bother to try…then he shook my hand and escorted me from his office. Not long after the pain moved to my hip and was so intense I could barely walk. I was referred to a rheumatologist (she scratched her head and chalked it up to a lupus dx I was given when I was 12). She later told me that she really didn’t know what was wrong with me…and all she knew to do was pray for me. All of this eventually subsided – although it has come back off and on in waves over the years. Each time I’ve gone to see if it maybe lupus related…and each time the test have come back negative.

I suffered a sprain in my left wrist this past October (this is what led to my RSD diagnoses). It seems the wrist injury has caused the nerve pain in my leg to increase (and I now have the same pain in both legs). It’s now to the point where it is again difficult to walk without pain. However, it’s not always the burning and shooting pain I associate with the nerve – most times it just feels very achy. Yesterday was fun (not)…I had the achy feeling in addition to alternating burning/shooting pain, muscle spasms, and the feeling of things crawling under my skin. (This seems to be spreading throughout by back as well).

I find that when the pain in my wrist (and now arm and shoulder) increases – so does the pain in my legs. I assume this is normal because my whole nervous system is just over-firing. (?)

Again, thank you for taking the time to read my post. I look forward to learning more about your experiences. I’ve found this site to be extremely helpful and am very glad I’ve found this site.