CRPS is a chronic pain condition that usually affects an arm, hand, leg or foot, most often after an injury, surgery, fracture or sprain. The pain is typically burning or intense and feels much stronger than the original injury would explain. Early evaluation matters, and treatment focuses on reducing pain and helping you keep the affected limb moving.
Complex regional pain syndrome is thought to involve changes in how the nervous system processes pain after an injury. Signals that should fade as the body heals keep firing, and the affected area can also show changes in blood flow, temperature, sweating and skin appearance.
You may also hear CRPS called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) or sympathetic pain, older terms that reflect the role of the sympathetic nervous system. There are two types. CRPS I, the most common, occurs without a confirmed nerve injury. CRPS II follows a specific nerve injury.
Burning, throbbing or stabbing pain in an arm or leg
Pain from light touch, clothing or temperature changes
Swelling
Changes in skin color (red, purple or pale) or temperature
Changes in skin texture, or in hair or nail growth
Stiffness, weakness or trouble moving the limb
Symptoms that may spread beyond the original injury area
CRPS can affect more than the painful limb. It can disrupt sleep, work and mood. Some steps that often help alongside medical care:
See a specialist if you have pain after an injury that’s getting worse instead of better, feels out of proportion to the injury, or comes with swelling and color or temperature changes. Early diagnosis and treatment may help improve outcomes.
Call our office if you notice redness, warmth or drainage at an injection site, a fever, pain or swelling that keeps getting worse, or new numbness or weakness.
Seek emergency care right away if you have trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat.
There’s no single test for CRPS. Diagnosis is based on your history and a careful exam using established clinical criteria, after ruling out other conditions that could explain your symptoms. Imaging or other tests may be used to support the diagnosis or rule out other causes.
CRPS treatment usually combines several approaches, tailored to you:
gentle, progressive movement to keep the limb functional. This is a core part of care.
an option for persistent CRPS pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments.
as recommended by your provider
Yes. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and sympathetic pain are older names for what’s now called complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS.
Some people improve significantly, especially with early treatment. For others, CRPS becomes a long-term condition that’s managed over time.
There’s no single best treatment. Most plans combine physical therapy, medication and, when needed, procedures such as nerve stimulation.
In some people, symptoms can spread beyond the original area. An evaluation helps guide care.
If pain after an injury isn’t improving, schedule an evaluation at our Rego Park office.
