Facts About Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

This disease is not common but it is definitely chronic. It mostly affects women between the age group of 40 to 60. The initial symptoms are mild but the signs are predominant and the doctors confirm it through a MRI scan, blood tests, etc. The initial symptom experienced is a burning feeling in one of the arms or legs and this part becomes hypersensitive in a period of time. The pain reaches unbearable levels and sometimes in rare cases it also causes muscle atrophy. The patients often describe the pain to a doctor as a combination of electric shocks with immense unbearable burning sensation.

In the advanced stages, even a mere touch on the affected part or a bump or exposure to adverse changes in temperature can trigger off the unbearable pain. This pain is also accompanied by skin inflammation and also visible changes in the skin. The irony is that for some patients there are frequent attacks and episodes of this disease but for some gifted people they disappear completely after some months.

There are some common symptoms which are seen on the onset of this painful disease called complex regional pain syndrome. Firstly, there is a definite and noticeable change in skin temperature and the appearance of the skin. Mostly the victims have clammy hands due to excessive sweating. The skin color shows some noticeable changes.For example, they change to different shades like from a pale color to pink and sometimes acquires a blue tinge. The surface of the skin looks too shiny and it also appears to be very thin.

There are visible and extreme changes in the growth of nail and hair. They either grow at a very slow pace or show abnormal speed in growth. The patients have severe joint pains as the joints become stiff due to immobility and they also become inflamed and red.

Some of the diagnostic tests taken by the doctors to confirm complex regional pain syndrome are Bone scan test, Sweat test, Thermography, Sympathetic nervous system tests, etc. The treatment shows favorable results only if it is done at the very onset of the disease for example, as soon as the initial symptoms are evident.