OUCH!! Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is one of the most painful conditions known in the history of medicine. While taking a shower, the showerhead blew off & struck my big toe. I swore like a truck driver & after a couple of days of raising my foot with ice the swelling & pain went away. About six months afterward my foot started turning a weird purple/red. The spots at first, came & went. Soon after the color didn't go away...and the pain set in. My foot was sore, but bearable. I went to bed one night & noticed that the sheet touching it brought incredible pain. At three in the morning I was in the ER because I nearly passed out from just the air gently blowing on my foot! The ER docs had no clue. A visiting intern happened to walk by & noticed my foot. He asked how I injured it. I didn't! It just started turning red... No, think back...even months ago! Did you stub your toe? Drop something on it? I told him about the showerhead, but that was six months ago! You have RSD. This visiting intern (who says angels don't exist!) had seen two cases & knew immediately. The three ER docs were amazed as they had read about it but had never seen it in person. That night started my nightmare. You are welcome to contact me at c.polchosky@rocketmail.com (put RSD in the subject line)& I can explain how & why it took three surgeries to finally resolve the original RSD & two flare-ups after. I am now pain free (~6 years) but try to be careful to this day, not to cause a "flare-up". I wish you the best!