Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is persistent, often burning pain in an arm or leg that continues after an injury or surgery has healed. It may come with swelling, skin color and temperature changes, and extreme sensitivity to touch.
CRPS involves the nervous system amplifying pain signals well beyond the original injury. Early diagnosis and treatment meaningfully improve outcomes, which makes prompt specialist evaluation important.
Common symptoms
- Burning pain out of proportion to the original injury
- Swelling, or skin color and temperature changes
- Extreme sensitivity to light touch
- Stiffness and reduced use of the limb
How interventional pain physicians treat it
Interventional pain physicians typically combine treatments aimed at calming the nervous system with therapy to restore movement and function. Care may include:
- Physical therapy
- Sympathetic nerve blocks
- Medication management
- Spinal cord stimulation
Treatment is always determined by a physician based on individual evaluation. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What causes CRPS?
It usually follows an injury, fracture, or surgery, but the pain becomes disproportionate to the original damage. The nervous system becomes sensitized and continues generating pain signals after tissue has healed.
Why is early treatment so important?
The condition tends to respond best in its early stages, before changes in the limb and nervous system become established. Early therapy and pain control also prevent the stiffness and disuse that make recovery harder.
What is a sympathetic nerve block?
It is an injection that temporarily quiets the sympathetic nerves believed to sustain CRPS pain. It can both support the diagnosis and provide a window of relief that makes physical therapy more effective.
Independent, physician-owned practices in the DxTx network provide this kind of care across 11 states. One call connects you to the practice closest to you.