Chronic arm or leg pain developing after injury, surgery, stroke, or heart attack.
Potential causes of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) range from minor
injuries, such as a sprain, to severe injuries, such as damage to a nerve.
Even relatively long periods of immobility, such as would occur with a
broken leg, can result in CRPS.
The symptoms of CRPS frequently include severe burning pain and extreme
sensitivity to touch in the area of the injury. Swelling, excessive sweating,
and changes in the bone and skin tissue may also occur. If you’re
experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to seek early intervention.
The nation’s leader in pain management, National Spine & Pain
Centers has board-certified doctors who are highly skilled in accurately
diagnosing CRPS and customizing non-surgical treatment plans that offer
lasting relief.
Contact National Spine & Pain Centers to schedule an appointment with an affiliated pain specialist for CRPS treatment today.
CRPS, also referred to as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and Causalgia,
is usually caused by an injury to the bones, joints, tissue, or nerves.
The original injury can be severe, such as a broken bone, or minor, such
as a sprain. In the case of an injury, CRPS symptoms may not appear right
away.As described above, these symptoms can result in extreme discomfort.
Stress often increases the severity of pain. As with any injury or condition,
paying attention to the messages your body sends you and seeking treatment
from knowledgeable medical professionals is critical.
It most often occurs in adults between the ages 20-40 and generally affects
women more than men.
CRPS can result from several different causes. Research suggests that the
symptoms may result from an injured nerve or nerves. The nerves send normal
pain signals that pass through the spinal cord and are then transmitted
to the brain. The problems occur because the spinal cord begins to send
confusing signals to the brain, as well as to the injured area itself.
These confused signals interfere with normal blood flow and sensory signals
resulting in extreme pain. In some cases, an immune response is triggered
causing sweating, redness, inflammation, warmth, and/or muscle spasms.
Symptoms may spread upward from the initial injury site (e.g. hand to shoulder) and may be heightened by emotional stress. The unrelenting pain causes many people extreme emotional and physical duress and, left untreated, can lead to permanent changes in muscle and bone. Early detection and treatment are very much needed. Common symptoms include:
Proper diagnosis starts with an experienced pain management doctor. The type of pain that you may have with CRPS can be similar to the symptoms of several types of disorders. Accurately determining the correct source of your pain is critical to successful treatment. Diagnosis involves the following:
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80% of adults will experience back pain in their lifetime. Take the FREE back pain risk assessment to understand your risk factors, and aid in preventing complications in the future.