This book describes Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a poorly comprehended disorder where a person develops persistent severe and debilitating pain.

While most instances of CRPS are precipitated by an injury, the ensuing pain is much more severe and long-lasting than normal.

The pain normally only involves 1 limb but can occasionally spread to other parts of the body.

The skin of the involved body part can become so sensitive that a mild touch, bump or even a change in temperature can produce intense pain.

Affected areas can also become edematous, stiff or go through fluctuating alterations in color or temperature.

CRPS often slowly becomes better over time.

Some people with CRPS may have pain for many years.

Diagnosing CRPS can be complicated since it involves having many tests to exclude other possible causes.

The precise cause of CRPS is not known but it is believed to be the effect of the body responding abnormally to an injury.

The disorder normally appears to develop within a month of an injury, either minor or more serious and can include:
Bone fractures
Sprains and strains
Burns
Cuts

Most people heal from these types of injuries without any considerable long-term effects, but people with CRPS develop pain that is much more severe and persistent than usual.

The pain can extend beyond the original injury site, normally involving an entire limb.

CRPS may affect the whole arm after an injury to the finger or hand.

In some instances, more than one region of the body can be involved.

CRPS has also been known to happen after surgery to a limb or after part of a limb has been immobilized in a plaster cast.

The main symptom of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is pain, which can occasionally be severe, persistent and debilitating.

The patient may have durations of pain lasting a few days or weeks, termed flare-ups, where the pain becomes worse.

Stress in particular can cause flare-ups, which is why relaxation techniques and mindfulness training is an important part of treating CRPS.

If the patient has CRPS, the skin in the affected region can become very sensitive.

Even the mildest touch, bump or change in temperature can produce intense pain.

The patient may hear this sensation documented as these medical terms:
Hyperalgesia – feeling pain from pressure or temperature that would not normally be painful
Allodynia – feeling pain from a very light stroke of the affected skin

Other symptoms are
Strange sensations in the affected limb
Alternating changes to the skin – hot, red and dry, other times it may be cold, blue and sweaty
Hair and nail changes – the hair and nails in the affected limb may grow unusually slowly or quickly
Joint stiffness and swelling in the affected limb (edema)
Tremors and muscle spasms (dystonia)
Difficulty moving the affected body part
Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
Small patches of fragile bones (osteoporosis) in the affected limb

Very rarely, CRPS can also cause complications, such as:
Skin infections and open sores (ulcers)
Muscle atrophy, where the muscles begin to waste away
Muscle contractures, where the muscles shorten and lose their normal range of movement
Some of these problems can make it very difficult for people with CRPS to move around.

There is no single specific test for CRPS.

There is no known cure for CRPS but a combination of physical treatments, medicine and psychological support can...