Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Sometimes a nerve injury caused by physical trauma or illness. Other times, it can be the result of other shifts and changes in your body. In either case, you can develop complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), which produces chronic pain in your arms and legs. Often, in the early stages, the symptoms are few and the pain is mild, making diagnosis difficult. Our skilled pain specialists know how to rule out other conditions to get you closer to an answer — and to finding relief from the pain. We’ll perform a range of tests and ask questions that may include:

• Locating the Presence of an Initial Injury
• Noting a Change in Appearance of an Affected Area
• Noting a Higher-Than-Expected Amount of Pain from an Injury
• Performing Triple-Phase Bone Scans to Identify Changes in the Bone and Blood Circulation
• Providing Stimuli to Locate Pain, such as Hot and Cold Therapy

Like the name suggests, CRPS is a complex condition. We’re here to simplify it. We'll start by explaining the symptoms so that you can look ahead to healing with confidence. Symptoms of CRPS can include:

• Abnormal Hair or Nail Growth
• Abnormal Skin Color Changes
• Abnormal Skin Temperature
• Abnormal Swelling in the Affected Area
• Allodynia
• Chronic Arm or Leg Pain
• Deep, Aching, Cold, Burning, or Fluctuating Pain
• Hyperalgesia
• Injury or Traumatic Event That Leads to Unexpected Chronic Pain
• Limited Range of Motion or Weakness
• Motor Disorders, Such as Paralysis or Dystonia

We can break your diagnosis into two different types of CRPS that have similar symptoms but different causes. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) syndrome is more common and occurs after an illness or injury that didn’t directly damage nerves in the limb that’s experiencing pain. Causalgia is caused by a distinct nerve injury to the part of your body that feels the most pain. Whatever your symptoms and whatever the cause, we'll be here to guide you, answering questions, providing solutions, and supporting you on your path to pain relief.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) can’t be totally cured, but there is still plenty of reason for hope. We can care for your symptoms and ease your pain using a variety of leading therapies that are personalized to your experience. Throughout your journey, we focus on providing relief with a multidisciplinary approach that eases discomfort in both your body and your mind. Possible therapies include:

• Biofeedback
• Intrathecal Drug Pumps
• Medication, such as Topical Analgesics, Narcotics, Corticosteroids, Osteoporosis Medication, Antidepressants, Osteoporosis Medicines, and Antiseizure Drugs
• Physical Therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Spinal Cord Stimulation
• Surgical Sympathectomy
• Sympathetic Nerve Blocks

Chronic pain can dampen your spirit. We’re here to give you every reason for renewed strength. If you’re experiencing depression, insomnia, loss of appetite, or mental fatigue, our skilled team of Behavioral-Health Specialists can ease your mind and spirit while our pain-care experts work to ease your pain.