new to this - need words of wisdom?
 

Hi there;
Im new here and am looking for some advice. - I had total knee replacement in Dec 07 gone bad - then came down with RSD in my knee. I cannot regain flex or extension, on severe pain meds, etc. Today I went to my neurologist as I have been having jerks effecting my legs and arms as I fall to sleep and thought I should get it checked out. The dr after examining me, stated she believes its restless leg - but then went on to state she wants me tested for neuropathy. My foot at times feels as if it has been asleep - tingling, burning, and electrical shock feelings but I had chalked it up to residue from my RSD knee on the same leg. Can anyone give me ideas as to where I can find good information regarding this Neuropathy? Also - the dr has made an appt for me to have nerve testing done in her office in a week for Neuropathy - can you give me an idea as to what the tests are like? She just stated it would take about an hour - She was having a bunch of blood workup done first, before the test. I wasnt prepared to walk out of the dr office with restless leg diagnoses besides the discussion of neuropathy.:confused: Well, guess I can say my life is not boring..... any advice is most welcome - thanks.

It's true--
 

--that RSD, and other variants of complex regional pain syndrome, can mimic certain kinds of peripheral neuropathy, especially small-fiber varieties, and are therefore hard to distinguish diagnostically unless on is very, very painstaking.

Usually, trophic changes in the affected limb, such as skin reddening, are more characteristic of RsD:

http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/sensory-pain.html#rsd

(Scroll up from where this takes you for more info on painful small-fiber syndromes.)

Sounds as if the doctor wants to perform a nerve conduction test--an NCV-- and will probably also conduct an electromyography (EMG). The former is to determine conduction in sensory nerves, the latter, in nerves that control muscles. These tests can be somewhat uncomfortable--a lot depends on the skill of the tester--in that small needles are inserted for the EMG and then your muscles are flexed, and during the NCV electric currents are passed through your skin, which can sting, but only momentarily; see WebMD's desciption of the testing:

http://www.webmd.com/brain/electromy...uction-studies


BTW, the "stickies" at the top of this forum are an excellent and comprehensive database for information about many kinds of neuropathy--take some leisurely time to go throught he links provided:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread177.html

Just a footnote to glenntaj's explanation of the 'needles' inserted.
These really don't hurt, just can be uncomfortable when you flex.
The 'needles' are very thin and are similar to acupuncture needles,
except that they have leads running from them, to a computer.
The other test is a shock test to 'twitch' your muscles. Kinda like putting your finger in a light socket, but of lesser intensity. If done right, just uncomfortable.
Just depends on the skill of the tester.