I was wondering if there were any Aussies on the board that knew of a good pain specialist in WA, I am very unhappy with the one I see and am struggling to find a new one. Any advice would be good

The other day, you correctly noted that a list of the physicians holding board certification by the American Board of Pain Medicine wouldn't do you much good.

So how about, instead, those physicians certified by The Faculty of Pain Medicine, a faculty of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists? And better yet, a list of those 26 physicians in Western Australia who are so certified?

Unfortunately, the website doesn't provide addresses and telephone numbers, but this should give you a running start.

take care,
Mike

Hi Michael
Thank you so much for the information, I will do some research into the DR's listed. Two of them are my specialists already. Hopefully I can find one which is a bit more supportive. I'm sure one of them does not believe me when I tell him my symptoms and that it is spreading. But I don't think I am the only person on the forum that has that problem. Again thank you for the time and effort you put it. I will report back if I have any luck

I can not for the life of me figure out why many doctors still think RSD does not spread? It really is not a matter of opinion, its fact. If a doctor can not see that they should retire from all forms of medicine.

Jim -

You can’t seriously expect that doctors are required to READ anything, can you? Although to be fair, Australia may have a billing code that compensates physicians for going to the books in the case of a particular patient, in which case a physician would likely be able (but not guaranteed) to find the following:

Patterns of spread in complex regional pain syndrome, type I (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), Maleki J, LeBel AA, Bennett GJ, Schwartzman RJ, Pain 2000 Dec 1;88(3):259-66; and/or

Spreading of complex regional pain syndrome: not a random process, van Rijn MA, Marinus J, Putter H, Bosselaar SR, Moseley GL, van Hilten JJ, J Neural Transm. 2011 Sep;118(9):1301-9. Epub 2011 Feb 18.

As opposed to the U.S. of course, where, a couple of years ago and contrary to the explicit assurances a neuro-psychologist made to me when I first spoke to her concerning a then-proposed six-week battery of tests, and weeks after I was required to fork over $1,500.00 to cover the amount of her fees my insurance was not expected cover, she pointedly refused to read any of the articles on the neuro-cognitive effects of CRPS I had emailed her well prior to her engagement, “because there’s no billing code to cover research.” Atta-girl!!! Hard headed and plain speaking, she - no doubt still - represents the values of this great land at its best!

(I marvel that anywhere in the rest of the world there are those who would even presume to meet our standards of excellence.)

Mike

Michael
Brilliant links again, It is frustrating when you are sat in a DR's office talking to them and you can just tell they don't believe you. I have the added problem of not always having outside symptoms, It can be a terrible day in terms of pain but I may not have any colour changes or swelling. This always happens on the days I have a dr appointment, it is almost as if the Dr can't see it so it can't be happening. On my next appointment I have decided to print out information on from the internet to take to my Dr and see if that helps.