Is this related to my neck & back pain or RSD or something else?

[Niki81872]

I had my nerves& muscles hit in my neck by a dr during radio frequency. I lost use of my right arm for 5 months and devolped RSD. I also have herninated discs and bulging dics in my neck and lower back along with spurs, degenrative discs,and my spinal cord narrowing in the neck and back. I was also told I had arthritis in the lower spine. Sincve all of this I did have a cervical & lumber spinal cord stimulator put in to help with the nerve & muscle pain.I'm on all the meds like oxycotine, oxycondone hcl and been on every muscle relaxer known. But my question is over the last 5 months I'm getting more and more pain radiating into my feet & fingers. I get the daily numness& tingling in my legs, feets, arm & fingers but this new pain radiates into my very bone and it hurts. It started in the beginning just here and there but nowm its constant. My dr.'s just say its part of the damage to your spine and with that you will devolope more chronic pain. I dont know if I buy that. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

[NikoK]

Hey- I had 2 spinal fusions- lumbar and then cervical. After C6/7 in 2008 I developed RSD on my left upper side.  I have since learned that RSD "travels"- i.e., it can spread throughout the entire body- and as far as I have read ( and I'm a biochemist), people are resorting to ketamine to treat the pain-
I take OxyContin and Dilaudid just to function- and have since been diagnosed with RA (I have a hunch that I've had a t-cell reaction to the stellate ganglion block contrast dye or to the donor bone in  my neck---my hunch, no proof--- but I had no RA symptoms before- nor RSD from my lumbar fusion in 2001).
There are a lot of RSD support sites- the RSD foundation does a lot of good, and they can direct you- there's a doc at Case Western in Cleveland, and one at Mayo, who are really into RSD research.
I see an amazing guy here in Chicago, who treats me for both-if I can help connect you to people, send me a note and I'll email my file of papers, etc., to you, happily.
I'm REALLY sorry you're dealing with RSD- people are just now considering it an autoimmune-like condition ( whatever that's meant to mean!!!), and since I started taking Prednisone, high-dose Vit D and Plaquenil, I've had some relief both from joint pain and from the insanity of RSD.  I, too, have bone spurs, spinal stenosis, etc.  I've also developed hemangiomas in my thoracic vertebrae, and it's taken YEARS for a doc to hear me.  Don't give up- even if you write me I can ask my doc to connect you with someone, no matter where you are.  It's a long road ( they say it's incurable), but get walking and moving and fight as hard as youcan, becuase RSD REALLY messes with your psyche, as well.  I spent 2 years in a dark bedroom- for real- because I could not deal with the pain.  
It can get worse, but it doesn't have to if you are proactive.  Watch diet, alcohol, get Vit D, exercise, and get a COUNSELOR-no matter what you might think or what people say, you will need an outlet or the anger you might feel during this process.  I will help you navigate the waters in ANY way that I can-
bless you xoxoxoxox
Nicole

[TrudieC]

I'd be concerned about peripheral neuropathy.  I would ask for a referral to a neurologist to have it checked and ruled out.