Marlene makes a good point. Other things can happen to us. So exploring it like a "normal" person would makes sense. We all experience degeneration of joints as we age. If you think you are experiencing it at a rapid pace then rheumatology is the place to figure that out.
I have found it to be tricky keeping track of what is going on within my body and separating things from crps.
I like to research aspects of this disease and learn as much as I can, but the reality is that there is a lot of unknowns. I would not be surprised if one day it is classified as an autoimmune disease.
I have also tried to take the approach of asking myself these questions, "Does it matter?" "Is it helpful"? I have tried to take this approach to ease my mind. For instance, In my case, my gallbladder started acting up and I had to have it removed. Of course I wondered if the crps caused my gallbladder to malfunction. In that case I asked myself, "Does it matter"? And of course, it did not. Either way it had to be removed and the truth is no one could emphatically say if the crps had anything to do with it.
I guess we all have to approach how we manage this disease as individuals so that is just my coping mechanism. I shared it with the hope that it may also be useful to someone else.
Barb