Dear Bob,

I almost certainly had RSD after my injury in 11/2006 (torn rotator cuff, ice and real agressive PT), and then again after my first rotator cuff repair in 5/2007. I was never diagnosed with RSD, but just couldn't recover from the surgery and had a lot of the symptoms. But things didn't get out of hand until I had the SECOND surgery in 4/2008. Then that summer a PM doc started trigger point injections in my shoulder, back, neck and head and it spread. By the time I was finally diagnosed I was a real mess - I've had RSD in my cervical spine and the back of my head ever since and its the pits.

The best treatment I've received to date have been ketamine infusions and lidocaine infusions. Ketamine is far more powerful than lidocaine. But the lidocaine did work to calm down some of the terrible burn for me. I got the lidocaine at St. E's in Boston (it was readily approved by WC) from July of 2009 until March of 2010. It takes several infusions before you feel anything.

My ketamine I now get in RI with the same PM doc that I started with years ago who caused my RSD to spread in the first place. Court ordered - WC - talk about coming full circle!! But I started out in April of 2010 with Dr. Philip Getson in Marlton, NJ. He is awesome and knows his stuff - you can trust him not to screw you up!! And he passed along all my dosages, etc to the RI doc. Getson performed my first 22 infusions.

Have your attorney petition the WC court on your behalf for ketamine infusions. You will need to have your doctor recommend it first. Go for it!! In the meantime, maybe you can try the lidocaine. And I would avoid anything invasive.

The best of luck to you, XOXOX Sandy