The truth about complex regional pain syndrome

Living with chronic pain is a daily battle for many. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) causes severe agony that limits mobility—here's what you should know about it.

• Location: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition that usually affects the arms or legs.
• Symptoms: The pain is intense, often a sensation of burning and aching. The symptoms may also include skin sensitivity, changes in skin temperature, changes in hair and nail growth, joint stiffness or swelling, muscle spasms, and a limited range of motion in the affected limb.

• Gender: Women, usually between the ages of 40 and 60, are affected three times more often than men.
• Statistics: The syndrome is rare, affecting 26 people out of 100,000.

CRPS appears to have two triggers.

• First trigger: About 90 percent of the time it appears after an illness or injury—though one that didn't directly affect the nerves in the now painful area. This phenomenon was previously known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome.
• Second trigger: The second type of CRPS, known as causalgia, springs up after a nerve injury. The pain is severe—often out of proportion to the original injury—and it worsens, often moving in stages, from severe pain to changes in skin and joints. It finally leads to limited movement and muscle atrophy.

• Cause: unknown.
• Early treatment: Although doctors don't know why CRPS occurs, they do know that, as with all pain syndromes, it's important to treat the pain as soon as possible.

• Medical exam: Your doctor will examine you and take a medical history.
• Tests: She will also likely run tests to find any changes in your sympathetic nervous system, which controls heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
• Imaging: She may do an imaging test such as a bone scan or take X-rays to see how the joints are affected.