Summary
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition. It causes intense pain, usually in the arms, hands, legs, or feet. It may happen after an injury, either to a nerve or to tissue in the affected area. Rest and time may only make it worse.
Symptoms in the affected area are:
- Dramatic changes in skin temperature, color, or texture
- Intense burning pain
- Extreme skin sensitivity
- Swelling and stiffness in affected joints
- Decreased ability to move the affected body part
The cause of CRPS is unknown. There is no specific diagnostic test. Your doctor will diagnose CRPS based on your signs and symptoms.
There is no cure. It can get worse over time, and may spread to other parts of the body. Occasionally the symptoms go away, either temporarily or for good. Treatment focuses on relieving the pain, and can include medicines, physical therapy, and nerve blocks.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Learn More
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Helping Youth with CRPS Succeed in School (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association of America) - PDF
- Signs and Symptoms of CRPS/RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association of America)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Causalgia
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Complex Regional Pain Syndromes
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and the Value of Early Detection.
- Article: Pediatric Complex Regional Pain Syndrome With and Without a History of...
- Article: Usefulness of thermography in the diagnosis and classification of complex regional...
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome -- see more articles
Patient Handouts
- Complex regional pain syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Spinal cord stimulation (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish