Posted on Feb 24, 2009

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is an uncommon, chronic condition that usually affects your arm or leg. Rarely, the disease can affect other parts of your body. You may experience intense burning or aching pain along with swelling, skin discoloration, altered temperature, abnormal sweating and hypersensitivity in the affected area. The nature of complex regional pain syndrome is puzzling, and the cause isn't clearly understood. Women are more likely to be affected by complex regional pain syndrome than men are. Although complex regional pain syndrome is most common in people between the ages of 40 and 60, it can occur at any age. Treatment for complex regional pain syndrome is most effective when started early in the course of the syndrome. Facts About CRPS Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) types I and II are the current terms used by the International Association for the Study of Pain to more accurately describe the conditions previously known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and causalgia. There are two types of CRPS, type I and type II.� Type I refers to cases of RSDS that do not involve nerve injuries. Type II refers to those CRPS cases that do involve nerve damage. CRPS is a relatively rare disorder, but may affect millions of people in the United States, alone. CRPS affects both men and women.� However, the incidence of CRPS is higher in women. The average age of people affected by CRPS is in the mid-30s, although children can also be affected. Medical science has not yet determined the real cause or causes of CRPS, but a number of precipitating factors are linked to the onset of CRPS.� All have in common something that causes pain, usually in an extremity, such as an arm or leg. CRPS type II, perhaps the most severe type of this disorder, may develop when people injure a nerve or nerves in an extremity such as an arm, leg, or foot. No one specific medical test or tool is currently available to diagnose CRPS with 100 percent certainty. Any combination of tests can only give a high, medium or low probability that the group of symptoms and signs is CRPS. Evaluation and testing involves a careful history and physical examination as well as a combination of complex tests that are best administered by specialists in Pain Medicine and management. A number of CRPS treatment options exist. These include drug therapy, nerve blocks, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychotherapy, spiritual counseling, biofeedback, sympathetic blocks and the more controversial and unproven interventional treatments such as chemical sympathectomy (chemically destroying the afflicted portion of the sympathetic nervous system pathway), external or implantable pain-relief devices, supportive psychological treatment and/or spiritual counseling.