J. Frost
Regarding your son: My sister was diagnosed with RSD last year in her left foot; after 12 months of therapy, pain pills, lost time from work due to severe pain and unable to walk by 12 noon each day due to pain I started taking her to specialists! The 10th specialist (orthopedic surgeon) agreed to do arthoscopic surgery to rule out any scar tissue in the left ankle. Her pain was "burning" with "bands tightening around ankle" as day went on. Elevation & heat helped some. None of the tests (emg, CAT scan, MRI, of the foot and xrays of her spine to rule out a tumor, etc.) could demonstrate any abnormality. Well, a brave surgeon believed her pain after many told us it was "in her head" and did surgery. He told us he had a 50/50 chance of finding something: he removed a scar tissue growth from covering of a bone in her ankle. She has been in a cast for 8 weeks and prognosis is good. Burning pain went away with surgery. Keep getting more than a second or third medical opinion. Get 10 if you need to. Do NOT tell the physician what previous physicians have diagnosed. Force them to make their own diagnosis. Remember, the term "RSD" was "coined" by the medical industry to identify a group of symptoms when they did not have a diagnosis. Good Luck! PS. We are in Southeastern Michigan, email if you want physician's name