Hi there
As you probably know I had a slip in the bath 4 weeks ago. I visited my local hospital who X-Rayed it and said there was no fracture - which was a relief. Me and my mum were told to visit my Consultant, who diagnosed me with RSD in my right arm has well has my leg.
Howeve I am not convinced that this is RSD because it does not feel like my leg. I do have the burning pain but I have no hyper - senstivity apart from when I put a lot of pressure on the part of my hand that is bruised. I also have a pulling pain in my arm near the bone.
Could there be a fracture their that they missed on my first x-ray?If there isnt then I am quite happy in saying that it is the early stages of RSD but Im still usure as to whether I have it.
Your help is kindly appriciated
Many thanks
Alison and mum

Allison,
My husband hurt his foot putting in a rug. (forgot he had his boots off and kicked the baseboard) The Dr. took x-rays and said there was no fracture. But he also said that a fracture might not show up on the films. They told him to wait a few days and come back for other test that would show better what had happened. He did end up having a small fracture. Iam not a Dr. but if it isn't felling better have it checked again. Sorry your hurting.

Sue K.

i've seen many a doctor in the ER miss a hairline fracture. see an ortho guy and have another x-ray ... better to be sure. and good luck. i am praying it is not rsd.
joan

Hi Ali,

You sure need some more tests Many fractures are missed on plain film that are picked up on bone scan.
The important thing here is to confirm a diagnosis for you because if it is RSD they should waste no more time but get stuck straight into treatment for you.
You have such a good chance of getting better because of your age and early diagnosis----please insist on more opinions.
Take care
Tayla

Thanks everyone
Just one thing I forgot to mention - a few days after the injury my hand started to curl up into a fist - its now locked in that position and I can feel spasms in it
This is exactly what happened with my foot and ankle but where that took a few weeks to set in, my arm took a matter of days
Back at hospital to see physio and OT on Thursday so will ask if they can have itre-examined
Thanks again
Ali12

good luck with the extremity dystonia stuff, the worst part imo was the pt that would stretch the hell out of it and ignore you when you say please stop but it did the most good for me and after not to many visits the changes became notable.
a funny story about these aswome people we put our lives in...i fell and went to the orth docs offce that day (i was a frequent flyer) and saw the doc who was on (one i have never met before). he felt my leg a little saw me for all of 4 minutes and said i was fine. 3 days later when i couldnt walk and it hurt i finally got into see my normal doc. first thing he does is order an exray and i will never forget the look on his face when he came in and looked at them. i had broken my leg in 2 places. he kept apologizing and everything my only question...the guy who got his license from a cracker jack box wont be in the oporating room will he?

Just a quick message to keep you informed on how Im going.
Over the last couple of hours my arms gone really red and purple on the bottom of my thumb and down my arm. My mum says it is really swollen, I know this can happen with RSD, but in your opinion what would you suggest doing?
Thanks for all your help
Alison
Pain free hugs

Hi Alison,
You mentioned that you fell in the tub 4 weeks ago, went to the ER who x-rayed it, told you it wasn't fraactured. I believe it was Tayla who said to go to an ortho to have it checked out. Many, many mistakes are made in the ER. When I went in there for my shoulder, the woman doc said I had a stiff shoulder.. sent me home with flexeril and told me to take tylenol even though she knew I was at the time, taking vicodin. Here, my shoulder has RSD The RSD spread from my wrist and hand up to my arm and now my shoulder. Of course ER docs don't know much about RSD, so in my opinion.. I would go to your ortho who can examine your x-ray much, much better. 4 weeks is way too long to have you feelig this way. You mentioned you have a pulling pain in your arm, near the bone?? this doesn't sound good to me at all. get to your ortho and she what he/shesays. I wish you the best Ali Love, Desi

Hi Desi,
We explained about RSD as soon as we arrived in A&E so not only had an X-Ray but also saw the on-duty orthopedic doctor as well as the "normal" medics. Both said there wasn't a fracture but did a refferal to my original orthopedic surgeon for a few days later.
Once more he examined the films and said there wasn't a break and by that time my hand was starting to curl up into a fist. He said that cos of my RSD I needed to have some physio on the wrist and hand to get things moving and try and minimise the risk of developing RSD - he also did the refferal to my Pain Consltant asking for him to see me urgently
By the time I went to physio 2 days later the fist was fully locked. The physios looked at it, the neurophysios looked at it and a neurologist looked at all - they all agreed they'd never seen anything like it and that they had never seen any form of break go this way - so they rang my Pain Consultant too !!!
The upshot is that I was admitted to hospital a week later and examined by the Pain Team - they all agreed it was a soread of my RSD caused by a wrist sprian. My wrist was not re X-rayed at that time and whilst I do believe the RSD side of things cos of the dystonia I am worried that an underlying fracture might have been missed
At the moment the fleshy area at the bottom of my thumb is very swollen, the skin feels tight and the redness radiates from there. It seems to be aggrivated when I bear weight through my crutches.
I still have a nagging doubt that something may have been missed. I am seeing my OT and Physio on Thursday - Should I wait and mention it to them or should I go back to A&E and have it re-X-Rayed before then just to put my mind at rest
Many thanks
Ali12

Hi there Ali! What a pretty girl you are!! ok.. if I were you, I would have it re x-rayed again. The sooner the better, dont ya think?? I really feel bad about your fist being fully locked! This RSD doesn't care what symptoms, pain or whichever way it has you/us. Please do NOT wait.. get it re -exrayed and have an intelligent person look at the x-ray slow..lyyyyyyy. Wishing you all the best, and please post back and let us know how your doing? what they find in the "new ex-ray"! love ((Hugs Ali)) Desi.