I accidently ripped a part of my nail off my thumb recently doing a "stupid" thing. It was a horrible pain for a WEEK.

RSD is a sympathetic neuropathy, where something activates the sympathetic nervous system. There are papers showing it can be prevented (trauma and surgical trauma RSD was blocked by simple Vit C treatments). It also responds to antioxidants, and seems to be some sort of biochemical signaling error. Also there are papers that calcium channel blocking drugs can help in the early stages. This suggests a malfunction of the NMDA receptor which is activated by calcium.

There are some patients over there with a crossover to PN but not as many as you'd expect.

I do think PNers feel pain more than other people when injured. This may be more of a link to Fibromyalgia than RSD.

I placed a small strong magnet over the nerve at the base of my thumb/wrist and the pain stopped. Without that little help that thumb was throbbing away and driving me nuts, especially at night. Certain positions in bed made it far more painful. I experimented with it some, since it has been a long while since I had an accidental injury of this magnitude!

In my line of work (locksmithing) I constantly injure thumbs & fingers.
I also have some sort of a condition where my skin splits along the fingerprint ridges and goes very deep. These injuries prevent me from playing the guitar or banjo for a month or so, every time. They hurt quite a bit. Sometimes its infection, others-just really hurts (fibro? RSD?).
I use anti-bacterial ointments, A&D ointment, and a dynamite herbal ointment I found in a health store (recommended by the owner) that really helps a lot in many instances.
But I always am exposed to dirty locks, dirt, cleansers, oils (WD-40), grease, etc.
This does not help the cleanliness of the hands.
I have to carry band-aids in my wallet all the time.

Yes, those split fingertips occur in printers and masons too.

When the skin gets defatted by solvents, it cracks.

Aquaphor ointment is good, too. There are cotton gloves you can wear after putting on the ointments --they are called Dermal Gloves, and sold in most pharmacies. At least they can order them for you, if they are not on the shelf.

Making sure you eat enough good fats will also restore your skin faster and keep it more resistant. Flax oil, especially. Rubbing evening primrose on the skin also works. It will heal and also prevent.

I think this feels like a root canal without lidocaine, so I'm going to load up on Vitamin C to prevent RSD. Also, I'm seeing a surgeon this afternoon just to have it eye-balled. I don't think he'll say anything special, but I'll feel reassured to have read advice on how to care for something this deep. I don't have a lot of faith in the PA who saw me in the ER on Saturday, so I'll feel better with an MD looking.

I have strong magnets that someone on this site recommended years ago, so I will try them tonight and see if they help me get a good night's sleep.

Thanks, Folk.

Everything is very painful to me - even stimuli that most people would not find 'painful'. Sometimes referred to as the "Princess and the Pea" syndrome. No, it's not really called that...

Is it possible that you suffer from fibromyalgia? It is one of those nasty things that like to piggyback with other illnesses such as autoimmune disease, neuropathy, etc... It has a tendancy to "amplify" pain sensation.

I have that problem. Dental work always poses a problem with me - fortunately, my dentist administers nitrous oxide gas.

Hope you feel better.

Mere

Nitrous destroys B12. I have read that just one treatment with it can disrupt B12 metabolism!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17404524
As time passes more and more articles appear on this subject, but they were available back in 2000 or so even then.

I always thought that nitrous oxide gas was found to be the cause of PN in many cases.
Documented traces back, to be the only element that preceded the onset
of PN in quite young patients.
I won't let a dentist use it on me.
I undergo all procedures with topical, injected numbness,
or in one instance of severe dental work about 30 yrs ago-twilight sleep.