Approximately 26.2 people per 100,000 have complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a painful condition affecting an arm, leg, hand, or foot. At Restore Health in Spokane and Richland, Washington, the team specializes in diagnosing and treating CRPS with injections, spinal cord stimulation, physical therapy, and other effective approaches. To learn more about the condition and explore available treatments, call the office nearest you or book a consultation online today.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome FAQ’s
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a type of chronic or long-lasting pain that usually stems from an injury, surgery, heart attack, or stroke. In most cases, CRPS affects one arm, hand, leg, or foot but is most common in the hand. It often causes more pain than the initial injury or condition.
The team at Restore Health treats patients within two categories of CRPS:
Type 1
Type 1 CRPS happens after an injury or condition. It is associated with no direct nerve damage in the region.
Type 2
Type 2 CRPS comes from an injury that directly affected a nerve.
Both types of complex regional pain syndrome result in the same collection of symptoms, which can vary from person to person. Possible signs and symptoms of CPRS include:
- Continuous pain or burning in the affected area
- Touch sensitivity
- Temperature sensitivity
- Skin color changes
- Skin texture changes
- Swelling
- Muscle spasms
- Joint stiffness
For some, these symptoms are only temporary and eventually go away over time or with treatment. For others, the symptoms of CRPS last for months or years at a time.
As the condition progresses, you might notice the limb affected by CRPS becoming cold and pale. It can eventually affect your hair and fingernails, too. Soon, the symptoms may spread to another limb.
CRPS responds best to treatment when you start it early. If you notice severe pain in a limb that doesn’t go away, no matter what you do, you should book an appointment at Restore Health for a possible CRPS diagnosis so you can start treatment right away and preserve the function of your limb.
The Restore Health team prioritizes nonoperative treatments to save you the time and costs of surgery. However, surgery is still necessary in some cases. Treatments for complex regional pain syndrome often involve:
Oral medications
Taking certain oral medications like pain relievers and antidepressants can improve CRPS symptoms like pain and inflammation.
Injections
Restore Health offers several injectable options for CRPS treatment, including anesthetic injections near affected nerves.
Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation is a highly effective treatment for CRPS. The team at Restore Health surgically places electrodes along your spinal cord to deliver gentle electrical pulses to the affected nerves.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback helps you learn to relax your body to relieve pain, stiffness, and other CRPS symptoms.
Physical or occupational therapy
Physical and occupational therapy can help to relieve pain and improve mobility.
If you experience severe and ongoing pain in an arm, leg, hand, or foot, call Lynx Healthcare, or book an appointment online for a complex regional pain syndrome consultation today.