Lefty, Your situation sounds familiar. My Dr. denied i had CRPS until it was too late and was diagnosed by a pm Dr. with chronic CRPS. I would imagine your Dr means right now you have CRPS but the signs and symptoms are mild. I know at times my symptoms are worse than others but even so CRPS is acute (early on) or chronic (think its over a year). Early on the blocks help them determine whether it is sympathetic mediated pain. If you have good results, decrease in pain, than it shows you have sympathetic mediated pain. If done correctly and someone has little to no relief from a block they call it sympathetic independent pain. Sounds like the Dr.(which like many) denied you had CRPS than after your block you must have had some relief and now he is calling it mild CRPS. Not sure what the average wait is between blocks- i had them every 2 weeks for 4 blocks altogether. I know i was told some have sympathetic mediated pain but not all symptoms to classify as CRPS. When i looked it up i found crps and sympathetic mediated pain are synonomous. Anyone know?? There are topicals such as lidoderm patches that help with nerve pain. momof4

Thanks for that information. I guess I'll what happens when this medication comes in the mail. I wish I didn't have to wait so long before getting another block! My first block in August. Going in my pain level that morning was at a 4, after the block in the recovery room it went down to a -3. The longest period of relief was for two days and my level of pain at that time was a 1. How I long for those two days. I just hope that he writes the mild CRPS in his report. The medication is a cream, and while I was waiting to be seen I heard him tell another patient about this cream. I can't remember what the name of it is but it starts with a (P). I wonder if this is something new on the market...I'd rather not be a test subject, but he kept telling me that I would like the way it's going to make me feel. I showed him how red my hand was (had a flare up in the office...it was pretty cold there) and he said it was normal for my condition. I just can't take this pain any more. I asked about Topomax, and he said first he wanted to see what this cream does.

Thanks again RNcrps.

Lefty, I can't answer your questions about "Mild CRPS," but here's some info on the prescription cream that may have been prescribed for you. My PM doctor prescribed Lidocaine patches - brand name is Lidoderm 5% - and also a cream. Both are topical NSAIDS, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like Advil. They've been used in Canada for a few yrs, but were just recently approved in the US. The advantage is that the medication goes directly to the inflamed areas, bypassing both the stomach & liver.

I've found the patches to be very helpful with pain relief, but like Advil or Tylenol, they haven't corrected the problem, they just offer respite. My PM doc suggested that with daily use the inflammation might permanently disappear. I won't hold my breath, but wouldn't that be nice?

As for the cream, I was to alternate it with the patches. It's called Voltaren Gel (diclofenac sodium topical gel 1%). I've ended up not using it for a few reasons.This cream is especially helpful for folks with arthritis.

Good luck to both of us!

Bari

I think it's a matter of comparison. Some people have found that nothing helps with the pain. Meds help me live a fairly normal life. I would consider that a mild case. Sad as it is to say, I consider myself lucky that I only have it as bad as I do, and that I didn't get it when I was younger. So yeah, I think there is such a thing...but...without painkillers, it's still hell on earth, mild or not.

How long have you had it?

They (deing the hand surgeon, and my private doctor) noticed it in March 2010, after Feb surgery on left hand.

Sprained my left leg pretty well in '03 and it started, then got dx'd in 2008. From everything I've looked at, the first year is the critical one. It's done some spreading and the level of pain has increased, but that's par for the course.