In response to Swimtime's question AND for those of you who suspect CRPS II from nerve injury/compression the following sites have incredible information. Susan Mackinnon MD is the head of plastic surgery at Washington University's program for peripheral nerve. She has done astounding things with repair and reanimation and has put up videos of surgeries to train other physicians and has a fellowship program where my surgeon trained. FYI, The nerve surgeries can be hard to watch. I chose to because I wanted to know exactly what they were doing in my neuroma resection. I took from it the importance of delicate handling and being thorough. Amazing how Mackinnon teases out a cutaneous nerve and marks it with sharpie to avoid cutting it during procedure. This kind of mindfulness could make a huge difference for CRPS people who have to have ANY kind of procedure. I don't know if most surgeons do this but they certainly could and for us it can make a HUGE difference.

http://nerve.wustl.edu for general info on types of injuries and compression
http://nervesurgery.wustl.edu evaluation and surgical training site for physicians

One of the Scratch Collapse Test - based on the brain going back to early reflexes where there is a nerve injury and not being able to respond with muscle resistance. When my nerve injury was unclear on NCS with reduced signal it showed up consistently on Scratch Collapse. This doesn't always indicate need for surgery though. They have some cases posted of improvement with physcial therapy later negative testing. First minute of the video is dull and not of the doctor, just hang with it.



And this article, really amazing and not applicable to a lot of cases but so VERY, VERY inspiring in what they did for this young woman with CRPS from nerve entrapment when so many had written her off. Makes me tear up when I think how this one doctor completely changed one girl's life. http://rsds.org/wp-content/uploads/2...eve-CRPSII.pdf
There is a cute "after" photo of the girl asleep in her bed with covers over her foot and the cat laying on it.

Certainly surgery is not an option or a necessity for everyone but it is nice to know there are people who can do this when needed!

Sending Healing Love,
Littlepaw

Thanks a million for this; I am going to look into it even though I am not a candidate for surgery....I think I am having nerve compression; question morton's neuroma and looking to see about other entrapment in my brachial plexus....thanks again little paw....