Living With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition, a neurological disorder that is caused by dysfunction in the central and peripheral nervous system. It may occur as the result of an old injury or for no apparent reason at all, and is most often characterized by changes in the color and temperature of the skin in the affected area, an intense, burning pain, and heightened skin sensitivity. There are two categories of CRPS: CRPS I, which may be triggered with no apparent nerve injury, and CRPS II where the condition is clearly triggered by a nerve injury.

CRPS may occur at any age, and in both men and women, although statistics suggest that it is much more common in young women. It is basically an intense, continuous pain that is widely out of proportion to the severity of any injury that may be involved. CRPS gets steadily worse over time, typically starting out in one extremity and slowly spreading to the others. Skin sensitivity is increased and the person affected may reach a point where even the slightest touch causes extreme discomfort. The affected extremity may also swell and become stiff, with movement becoming increasingly difficult.

Given time, and without treatment or therapy, the pain may travel throughout the extremity and even into other extremities. The condition may be aggravated by emotional stress. The condition may vary in intensity, but most medical professionals believe that there are three progressive stages of CRPS.

Stage One: typically lasts from 1 to 3 months, characterized by severe and worsening pain, muscle spasms, joint stiffness, and changes in skin color and temperature.

Stage Two: typically lasts from 3 to 6 months, with steadily increasing pain, softened bones, stiff joints, and weakened muscle tone.

Stage Three: this is where the syndrome has progressed to a point where changes in the skin and bones are no longer reversible. Pain permeates the entire affected extremity, with considerable muscle loss, limited mobility, and severe muscle contractions.

Obviously it becomes important to seek treatment and therapy early on, as all possible steps should be taken to prevent the condition from reaching Stage Three.

The medical community is largely unsure of what causes CRPS, although there is evidence to suggest that old injuries may be one trigger for it. However, there are cases of CRPS in patients with no previous injury.

It is widely accepted that the sympathetic nervous system plays a vital role in sustaining the pain. The current conclusion is that CRPS does not have a single identifiable cause, but is rather a result of multiple causes that yield similar symptoms.

The good news for sufferers of CRPS is that the condition may improve on its own without therapy. On the other hand, it may only become worse over time and the patient then runs the risk of it developing into a debilitating condition. It is always advisable to have the condition diagnosed and seek treatment for it as soon as possible. It should be noted however that there are cases where the condition continues to progress in spite of considerable therapy and treatment. Most doctors believe that early treatment is vital to successfully limiting the disorder, but this falls more into the category of wishful thinking than hard medical evidence.

Types of therapy are wide and varied. Obviously physical therapy plays a part, as the muscles and nerve endings need to be exercised and stimulated, with the goal of having them "remember" their proper settings and process pain signals correctly.

Psychotherapy also plays a vital role in recovery, and those suffering from CRPS may also develop depression or anxiety, making it difficult to concentrate on improving. Depression only serves to heighten the sense of the problem, which can successfully block rehabilitation efforts.

When all else fails, more radical treatments may be in order. Nerve blocks may be utilized to literally block off nerve endings to relieve the pain, and surgery may also be an option, destroying the effected nerve endings to bring relief. This procedure is quite controversial, however, and is used only as a last resort.

Clearly, there is much to be learned about Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome, and while research goes on, it remains important to treat the condition as much as possible now, with what we know. What is known is that there is a window of time in which to successfully treat the problem before it becomes debilitating. Take advantage of every opportunity to treat it while you can.