What is it?
Complex Regional pain syndrome is a form of chronic pain that usually affects a person’s arm or leg. Symptoms of CRPS usually initiate after a serious injury, stroke, surgery, or heart attack. The pain is exceptionally higher than the initial injury.
CRPS is very rare, affecting 0.06-0.1% of the global population. Therefore, it is misunderstood and difficult to diagnose. The cause of CRPS isn’t yet known. However, improvement and even remission is possible. People with the most success start treatment early.
Signs and Symptoms
- Continuous burning or throbbing pain, usually in the arm, leg, hand or foot
- Sensitivity to touch or cold
- Swelling of the painful area
- Changes in skin temperature — alternating between sweaty and cold
- Changes in skin color, ranging from white and blotchy to red or blue
- Changes in skin texture, which may become tender, thin or shiny in the affected area
- Changes in hair and nail growth
- Joint stiffness, swelling and damage
- Muscle spasms, tremors and weakness (atrophy)
- Decreased ability to move the affected body part
CRPS looks different in everyone. Symptoms can change over time and worsen or improve. Time is the key for improvement. CRPS can spread to other parts of the body, oftentimes to the opposite limb. For some cases, signs and symptoms go away on their own. For others, they persist for months to years.
How is it Diagnosed?
There is no single test to diagnose CRPS. However, there are tests that can provide helpful clues for the doctor when they are trying to make a diagnosis. These include but are not limited to the following.
- Bone Scan-Helps to find bone changes.
- Sweat Production Tests- Uneven amount of sweat on comparative limbs could indicate CRPS.
- X-Rays-In later stages of the disease, loss of minerals may show up on an X-ray.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)-Images captured on an MRI may show tissue changes that can rule out other conditions.
Treatment
Early treatment can improve the symptoms of CRPS. Oftentimes, a patient needs a combination of treatments. Some options include the following.
Medications
- Pain Relievers
- Antidepressants and anticonvulsants
- Can be used to treat pain that originates from a damaged nerve
- Corticosteroids
- May reduce inflammation and improve mobility
- Bone-loss medications
- Sympathetic nerve-blocking medication
- Involves the injection of an anesthetic to block pain fibers in the affected nerves to hopefully reduce pain
- Intravenous ketamine
- Can substantially alleviate pain
- Medicines to lower blood pressure
- Can help control pain
Therapies
- Heat therapy
- may offer relief of swelling and discomfort on skin that feels cool.
- Topical analgesics
- may reduce hypersensitivity
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Mirror therapy.
- uses a mirror to help trick the brain. Might help improve function and reduce pain
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Electrical impulses targetting nerve endings sometimes ease chronic pain
- Biofeedback
- You can learn to become more aware of your body so that you can relax your body and relieve pain.
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Your provider inserts tiny electrodes along your spinal cord and a small electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord
- Could help with pain
- Intrathecal drug pumps
- Medications that relieve pain are pumped into the spinal cord fluid.
- Acupuncture
- The insertion of long, thin needles may help stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue.
- Could increase blood flow and relieve pain.
Credits
Complex regional pain syndrome – diagnosis and treatment – mayo clinic. (n.d.). In www.mayoclinic.org. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crps-complex-regional-pain-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20371156
CPRS pain scale | McGill pain index – burning nights. (2025). Burningnightscrps.Org. https://www.burningnightscrps.org/crps/crps-information/what-is-crps/pain-scale/?srsltid=afmbooq2x3dmignmm8rt9jgrzfrpnbxmjfn3mcoq-snxuo5jnsombyws
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Complex regional pain syndrome – symptoms and causes. In Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crps-complex-regional-pain-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20371151