Hi there;

Just wondering if anyone knows of a pain management doc in Washington State - around Seattle - that specializes in RSD? I have done research and have heard of several specialists - but they are all back East - and traveling is not an option for me at all at this time, physically and financially. The pain management doc I have now is ok - but he is so booked, I cannot get in to see him for 3 months at a time. Right now I believe I am having a pretty bad flare - worst pain I have ever had but not sure if indeed it is this. The RSD has mainly been in my knee (came on after my tkr in Dec 07) - but now its effecting my whole leg and lower back to the point I can hardly turn over in bed, walk or even drive. I called my drs office on Monday, finally received a call back on Thursday ( after I called several more times during the week). Now they will have to check to see if they can get me in before my next appt date in late October. Is this normal for pain managment docs - they are this busy and if so - what is a person supposed to do? If i go see my primary doc - she will just tell me I should see my pain management doc. Arrggh. Sorry to go on so much -just really frustrated with this condition. Thanks for any insight anyone can give.

Hi. Sorry to report this, but I specificically made a request a couple of months ago on behalf of a friend, to a family member who is a retired physician at a major hospital in Seattle. After checking around, he reported that there were "NO" qualified RSD specialists in Seattle, including at the University of Washington.

You're right that the the major centers appear to be the Cleveland Clinic, Drexel University in Philadelphia and Mass General. The said, there are some perfectly good and highly sophisticated pain management docs in the SF Bay area and LA who work with RSD cases every day, granted that's still a plane flight away.

Mike

ps For recent thread on LA docs see http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread51236.html. I believe other members could share their suggestions in the Bay Area.