absolutely OK to copy and paste, Robin...

Thanks again Chemar

Hi Robin Welcome! Your intro question... crps or not? is, of course, something I can't answer, I am not a physician. But as a rsd/crps patient for 14 years now, I have a bit of experience with it, you might say. I have never met a patient who had as little pain as you seem to have. One 400 mg ibuprophen each evening?? Pain is the #1 symptom of rsd/crps, pain beyond what you should have for your injury... to the point some Dr.s think you are a hypochondriac. It overtakes your life, sometimes making you afraid to even move once you find a comfortable position. I remember my first therapy appt after surgery... the PT was rubbing a cotton ball across my foot for desensitizing reasons, and I was hiding my face in my hands, feeling the fool for crying like a baby. I had gone through childbirth with nary a drop of pain meds, yet here I was crying over being touched with a cottonball!
No, I can't say for sure whether or not you have rsd... but I hope and pray for you that the answer ends up being a resounding "NO"!

Thanks, Rogue. I'd noticed that most or all of the RSD/CRPS stories on-line seemed to involve much more pain than I have. On the other hand, I just noticed another symptom: the skin on the affected knee does seem shinier than on the other, like somebody's been buffing it up, except I think I'd have noticed that. I hope to get a chance to talk to a PM during my acupuncture session tomorrow.

Seeing your sig, I wonder whether you meditate?

I certainly TRY to meditate, lol... but I am not very good at it. I could use some tips on how to turn my brain off, if you (or anyone else) has any.

Practice makes perfect! For the basics, I learned from a Buddhist teacher in person, which is probably the best way, but there's lots of information out there, for instance the Wikipedia page on mindfulness, which mentions the use of meditation for chronic pain. I generally "follow the breath", which means focussing on the sensations (not the sounds) of breathing. Place your attention on the in and out movements of the stomach for relaxation and stabilization, or on the subtle sensations around the nostrils for improved focus. At first I counted breaths (in and out as one), up to ten, then starting again. Each time you lose count (and you will!), you should resist the temptation to get annoyed or frustrated, and just start again. Nowadays I just focus on the sensations. 20 minutes once or twice a day is probably plenty for most people, but some teachers say you can do more if you're unwell and you feel it helps.

Be peaceful!

I spoke to one of the PMs today and she's quite dubious about my condition being CRPS, due to the relative mildness of the symptoms, although she also said that it can be more or less severe. Anyway, we agreed to give up on the acupuncture and I'm to get gabapentin from my GP for two months before re-evaluation.

Interestingly, I've managed to get a bit more relaxed this afternoon, which is definitely linked to less pain in the knee. I really think it's worth working (if that's the right word) on that.