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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition that usually affects an arm or a leg after an injury, surgery, stroke, or heart attack. It involves intense, prolonged pain that is often out of proportion to the initial injury. CRPS can cause swelling, changes in skin color and temperature, and muscle spasms, making it a challenging condition for pain management medical centers. Early treatment can help get pain relief and prevent long-term complications.

What causes Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

  • Nerve injury from trauma or surgery

  • Fractures or sprains causing regional pain

  • Tissue inflammation

  • Abnormal immune response

  • Poor blood flow

  • Muscle spasms

  • Overactive nerve signals

  • Limb immobilization

  • Infection or post-surgery issues

  • Unknown triggers in some cases

Risk factors

  • Severe injuries or fractures

  • Recent surgery, especially hands or feet

  • History of muscle spasm

  • Female gender

  • Age 40–60

  • Limb immobility

  • Repetitive limb use

  • Chronic pain conditions

  • Stress or anxiety

  • Delayed pain management

Symptoms

  • Burning or intense pain

  • Sensitivity to touch or cold

  • Swelling and stiffness

  • Skin color/temperature changes

  • Muscle spasms

  • Limited movement

  • Joint pain/weakness

  • Abnormal hair/nail growth

  • Trouble with daily tasks

  • Needs CRPS support

Treatment

Treatments range from conservative treatment to surgery. Our goal is to provide you with the best treatment plan to reduce pain, but these treatments do not change the underlying source of pain. Medical treatments are often used in combination such as: medications, physical therapy programs, and injection therapy.

Epidural Injections

Treats radiating pain; deposit the medication, typically steroids in the epidural space of the spine.

Nerve root block injections

Targets a specific spinal nerve and deposit medication around the nerve at the point where it exits the intervertebral foramen (bony opening between adjacent vertebrae).

Facet joint injections

Treat pain stemming from a specific facet joint.

Medial branch blocks

Deposit medication around the medial branches of spinal nerves. The medial branch is a nerve that sends pain signals to the brain from an arthritic facet joint. An injection directed around the medial branch can relieve neck and lower back pain.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

Treats pain by lesioning  medial branch nerves of the facet  joints.