This is just one of the scariest things about RSD for me. It's been getting worse for me recently - suddenly cannot move my legs, or arms or sometimes both at once. Being completely stuck is quite terrifying, although I'm starting to get a little more 'used' to it. Of course, this makes everyone think I am even less able to do things myself than before - which is so demoralizing, just when i need to feel like there ARE still things I'm in control of, things I can do, things that make me have a point!

I like Frogga's explanation - the movement parts of the brain getting criss-crossed with pain messages. Those pain messages seem to be crossing over everywhere - and while not exclusive to RSD, it seems to predominate in RSD, which I think makes it hard for others to understand quite what's going on.

My RSD doctor told me to try to be calm (!!) and go through in my head the phrase 'tell your brain to tell your right leg to move' over and over - and also have someone else gently move the limb, talking calmly and slowly until I get 'unstuck' again.