Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

If you suffer from lingering pain after a medical emergency or surgery, you could have complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The skilled team at Boston Pain Clinic treats various pain conditions, including CRPS, and listens attentively to address your symptoms. Call the office in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, today or request an appointment online to learn more about CRPS and how the team can help you.

What is CRPS?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition characterized by lingering, long-term pain. It usually shows up after surgery, stroke, heart attack, or injury.

The two types of CRPS are:

Type 1

This condition, also called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), occurs after an injury or illness, whether it causes nerve damage. Most people suffering from CRPS have this type.

Type 2

Type 2 CRPS (causalgia) results from nerve damage.

Most people pinpoint a specific trauma as the cause of their CRPS. If you’ve had a crushing injury or fracture in an arm or leg, you’re at greater risk for CRPS. Minor and major traumas like heart attacks, infections, and surgery can result in CRPS.

What are the symptoms of CRPS?

Contact the Boston Pain Clinic team if you experience:

• Continuous throbbing or burning pain, typically in the foot, leg, arm, or hand
• Changes in skin color or temperature
• Skin texture changes, becoming thin, shiny, and/or tender
• Joint swelling, stiffness, and damage
• Swelling in the affected area
• Muscle tremors or spasms
• Decreased movement in the area

The first thing you might notice is hypersensitivity to cold or touch. Swelling, redness, and pain are early warning signs of CRPS.

Why does CRPS need prompt treatment?

Without early diagnosis and treatment, the stiffness and pain in your arm or leg can become so painful that you avoid moving them. This is how CRPS leads to tissue wasting (atrophy), where your muscles, bones, and skin deteriorate.

You could also experience muscle tightening (contracture) with your foot and toes or hand and fingers stuck in a particular position.

How is CRPS treated?

To diagnose CRPS, your provider will order a bone scan, X-ray, MRI, or sweat production test.

Your treatment plan could combine medications and therapies.

Medications to treat CRPS include:

• Pain relievers
• Antidepressants and anticonvulsants
• Corticosteroids
• Bone-loss medications
• Sympathetic nerve-blocking medication
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) medicines

Therapies include:

• Topical analgesics (painkillers)
• Heat therapy
• Occupational or physical therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Mirror therapy
• Biofeedback
• Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS)
• Intrathecal drug pumps

CRPS can recur if you experience too much cold or stress. So follow your provider’s recommendations, and let the team know if your symptoms return or get worse.

Call Boston Pain Clinic or request an appointment online today to talk to the team about diagnosis and personalized care for CRPS.