New to Forum
 

Hello,

I'm new to the forum so I would appreciate any response to assist me. I fell down some stairs at work and the first thing I felt was immediate horrible burning in my foot/ankle and it hasn't gotten any better it's actually moving up my lower leg. Because I fell at work they MADE me use Workmans Compensation and I wasn't able to see a doctor until a month later. I have the horrible burning I mention, pin/ needles, I have surges of pain shooting from my foot up my leg, my foot at times seems frozen to the touch. My ankle will not move at all and I can't put any pressure on my foot. Now I developed something that looks like brown bruises going up my leg and it's painful. It feels like I always have something crawling on my foot/ankle,I have discoloration where my skin is red/green/bluish like color, it's constantly swollen and I can't bare to touch it.
Here's my problem when I saw the doctor initially he said it was CRPS and he set me up with Pain Management and Physical Therapy, I had two blocks and one blocked helped for a day it did not stop the burning at all. Workman's Compensation requested a Bone Density Test on me , I got the results back the next day that said based on the Bone Density Test Results that I did not have CRPS. Now the doctors are telling me nothing wrong with me, the Pain Management doctor refused to see me. My condition seems to be deteriorating day by day. My muscles in my left foot/leg are so tight until it's extremely painful on top of everything else.

My question is The Bone Density Test is or isn't the only component in diagnosing CRPS. I will attach recent pictures to my text message.

Thank you,

Zette67

Pictures of foot leg CRPS
 

Here are some pictures of my foot and leg with CRSP.

It looks like CRPS to me. Did you have an X-ray recently? Patchy osteoporosis on my X-ray confirmed CRPS.

Hi Zette,

I am so sorry for what you're going through. I can't give a full response right now but I wanted to throw this one idea out there. CRPS experts have said that the most important rule out is nerve entrapment. I find it odd if the burning started immediately. Other physical causes must be examined as well. If you haven't had any imaging done such as MRI it may be time to ask for that to be sure there isn't a stress fracture or soft tissue problem.

I would highly recommend seeing a neurologist or a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation doctor who does nerve conduction or EMG studies. This will tell you if the nerve signal is impaired. In CRPS it usually is not.

I myself had a severe nerve injury that required surgery. (My CRPS symptoms came after a later procedure) I can tell you that for me personally the nerve injury symptoms were very similar and excruciatingly painful. I had the running water/electrical/shooting and stinging sensations as well as color and temperature difference. When they operated they found the nerve was actually torn and scarred down.

Even if you do have CRPS and not entrapment, treating the cause of it can make a difference in your outcome. Keep after your doctor for a referral for someone to check the nerve's function. If there is a peripheral nerve surgeon in your area they can also do something called a scratch collapse test to check.

Don't give up. Listen to your instincts. If nothing else, acceptance is easier knowing you've turned every stone. You deserve a proper evaluation. Know that you're not alone. We all know how scary it is being in pain and not understanding what's happening. Take good care of yourself and hold on to hope.

May you find relief and answers soon, :hug:

I have had CRPS for almost 8 years now...and no doctor has ever had me do a bone scan. That is not an appropriate or recognized way to diagnose CRPS...merely one diagnostic test that some doctor's use to assist in their diagnosis. I'm not looking at the chart now...but you should be able to find it with a search...but there are 4 basic categories of symptoms that doctors use as the criteria for diagnosing CRPS. You do not need to have all symptoms in all categories (we are ALL different)...but generally doctors are looking for symptoms in 3-4 categories (again...not all symptoms in those categories...sometimes just one). It's extremely hard to diagnose and believe me...most of us WISH it was as easy as one test confirming or ruling out CRPS...but that is simply not the case. If a doctor believes that...then you are better off seeing someone else because they are clearly not knowledgeable about CRPS.

It does sound like it COULD be CRPS...but here's the thing...CRPS is often a diagnosis of exclusion. That means other things need to be ruled out first before a diagnosis of CRPS can be confirmed. If a doctor suspects CRPS then they should tread carefully and treat it as if it were CRPS...but should still search for other causes as well because ALL the symptoms of CRPS can be caused by other things (many of which are more easily treated).

I myself have dealt with work comp (my CRPS was a result of a work injury as well)...and it can be a total nightmare to get treatment and approvals for things...keep seeking proper treatment if you can. Also...if you haven't done so already...consult and attorney NOW to advise you on how to proceed. I am currently using my private insurance because work comp is denying treatment and approvals. I need treatment and if work comp is denying things then I am not letting myself deteriorate in the mean time. I had to provide my doctor's office with a letter from work comp stating they are denying treatment and then they were able to submit to my regular insurance. If, at trial, it is determined that work comp needs to pay...then they will have to reimburse me my out of pocket expenses and pay back my insurance company as well.

Every state is different though and has different rules on what doctors you can see when, etc. This is why it is so important to consult an attorney. Do NOT take work comp representatives at their word...it is VERY common for them to lie. When I was experiencing spread and all sorts of other crazy symptoms (blurry vision, poor balance, hallucinations, etc)...the work comp adjuster actually told me maybe I was pregnant and that was causing my symptoms. Seriously...I was not then but I can say with confidence now since being pregnant that none of my pregnancy symptoms included the intense burning pain, blurry vision, poor balance, hallucinations, etc. Not that it matters much...but that's how ridiculous dealing with work comp can be. Protect yourself and your rights by seeking the advice of an attorney and IF you already have one...use them as a resource to help you navigate things because the laws can be really hard to navigate on your own and all it takes is one mistake for them to be able to deny coverage.

Sorry this was so long...hang in there. There is hope...I was doing VERY well living with my CRPS until I fell off a ladder a year and a half ago which caused everything to get worse. Good luck with everything and know we are here for support if you need it. I can't even begin to tell you how helpful this forum has been for me. Many of the things I do to help me get through each and every day is based on tips from others in this forum...things that do not require prescriptions or that doctors will think to recommend (because they aren't necessarily treatments...more like little things that make life easier). So please keep us posted on how you are doing and if you need anything. I truly believe that the only people who can really understand CRPS are those who have it...so it's been of great help to me to have a place where I can come and get support from and help support others who have this condition.

Zette67,

I am so sorry for what you are going through. My first reaction when I read your post was that you needed a competent and ethical doctor as well as an excellent workmen's comp lawyer. Making you wait a month to see a doctor is unforgiveable (actually I can think of stronger words.)

Littlepaw and Catra121 gave you excellent advice. I do hope you have private insurance which will cover the care you need now, not in a month or after a year of fighting workmen's comp. Waiting can cause complications you don't want.

Even if you have to go into debt to obtain appropriate care, a good lawyer may be able to help reduce or eliminate it. Good luck to you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Shay

Zette-
I feel for you! And I agree with the others- you need to have good medical care now and an attorney to protect your right to treatment. My doctor didn't do bone density and I have been diagnosed with osteopenia before the CRPS.
He was looking for my foot to heal after surgery and could see the decreasing bone density over the healing period since he took a half a dozen X-rays. I later asked my pain MD about bone density and he wasn't too interested because the goal has been to get me up and on my foot since the weight bearing should help the bone density. The doctor treating you is uninformed. Comp docs do make stuff up to suit their function, you need someone with your interests as your treatment provider. I have tons of photos of my foot (and both feet for comparison)- they were helpful when my foot looked great the first day I met with my pain doctor, but the pictures alone are difficult to use for diagnosis- there are so many reasons why feet can change appearance. You do need to have them check for the other conditions mentioned in the other posts. My best to you.

Welcome Zetta. I am so sorry you are going through all this pain. I hope that you don't have rsd, but if you do, this is a great forum to get support from. Praying for you.

A lot of what you are describing sounds like CRPS. If you look at one of the CRPS websites you can see the Budapest criteria for diagnosis.

The only odd thing is experiencing the burning immediately, as that doesn't usually come right away. That might indicate an actual nerve injury.

Either way, as I can attest, dealing with Worker's Comp is a nightmare. My injury date was 6/11/15, still going cause I'm not yet "permanent and stationary". Get a lawyer, as others have said. One of the most important things you can do. One of the best things my lawyer did was help me find a better doctor, believe it or not.

** Only a doctor can make that diagnosis. So having a good physician is key, one who is familiar with the condition so s/he can either diagnose it or rule it out.