More than 24% of Americans have some form of chronic pain, and that number continues to rise. Living with chronic pain is tough and can be overwhelming, especially when the pain feels out of proportion to the original injury or doesn’t seem to improve with time.
At Advanced Pain Management in Arizona, we see patients struggling with this very issue. One condition that explains it is complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), which accounts for about 1.2% of all chronic pain cases in the United States.
CRPS usually affects one arm, leg, hand, or foot after an injury, surgery, stroke, or heart attack. In around 7% of cases, there’s no identifiable cause. It’s due to a problem in the way your nervous system responds to injury. Instead of healing normally, the nerves send constant, exaggerated pain signals to the brain.
Although it can happen to anyone, CRPS is more common in women and often develops between the ages of 40 and 60. Early diagnosis and treatment give you the best chance at long-term relief.
CRPS symptoms may be mild initially but typically worsen over time. They usually affect only one limb, though the pain can spread. Common signs include:
CRPS pain is typically a persistent burning or throbbing that feels more severe than expected for the injury. The affected limb will likely feel stiff as well.
The skin over your affected limb might feel much warmer or cooler than the opposite limb. You might also see color changes, with the skin turning red, blue, purple, or pale.
It’s common for people with CRPS to experience other visible symptoms in the area, such as unusual sweating, dryness, and/or swelling.
Patients with CRPS sometimes notice that their hair and/or nails grow either faster or slower than usual.
You might develop muscle weakness or suffer spasms that make movement difficult.
Sensitivity to temperature and touch is a common issue with CRPS. Examples include allodynia, where a light contact causes pain, and hyperalgesia, where a more robust contact causes severe discomfort.
Early intervention reduces the risk of long-term disability when you have CRPS. If you notice any symptoms, especially after an injury or surgery, it’s essential to seek medical help quickly.
There isn’t a single test that can confirm CRPS, so it’s vital to see a pain specialist for an accurate diagnosis.
At Advanced Pain Management, we use a combination of medical history, physical exams, and diagnostic tools to rule out other conditions. We may recommend X-rays, MRIs, or bone scans to look for changes in bone density, inflammation, or nerve function.
CRPS can be challenging, but many treatments exist that can ease symptoms and restore function. We create personalized treatment plans using a combination of therapies:
Various kinds of medications can ease CRPS symptoms, including:
Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or prescription-strength drugs help reduce inflammation and pain.
Drugs such as gabapentin or pregabalin calm overactive nerves.
Certain antidepressants can improve nerve signaling and help you sleep.
Steroids reduce inflammation and may improve mobility in the early stages.
Interventional therapies that can help with CRPS include:
Gentle movement and exercises help maintain flexibility, strength, and circulation. Occupational therapy teaches you ways to adapt daily activities and reduce strain.
Injections of anesthetic near affected nerves can temporarily relieve pain and help reset nerve signaling. Sympathetic nerve blocks specifically target the nerve group linked to CRPS pain and can provide significant relief.
Spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation deliver electrical impulses that reduce pain signals before they reach the brain.
With spinal cord stimulation, we place a small device near the spinal cord to help ease pain linked to your central nervous system. Peripheral nerve stimulation delivers the impulses to the nerves that aren’t part of your central nervous system. We also use stellate ganglion blocks for neck, head, upper arm, and upper chest pain. The block is an injection into the stellate ganglion, nerves located on either side of your voice box.
Biofeedback, meditation, and mindfulness techniques can calm the nervous system and reduce pain flare-ups. Talk therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) help patients cope with the emotional impact of chronic pain.
Nutritional support and lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and smoking cessation, can improve overall health and support healing.
If you experience severe pain, skin changes, or unusual swelling after an injury or surgery, don’t ignore it. Early treatment can prevent CRPS from progressing to a more advanced stage and becoming more difficult to manage. However, even if you’ve lived with symptoms for a while, it’s never too late to explore your treatment options.
Schedule a consultation with the Advanced Pain Management team by phone or online so you can benefit from prompt, expert CRPS treatment. Our offices serve Mesa, Tucson, Surprise, Downtown Phoenix, Chandler, Metro/Peoria, Avondale, and Glendale, Arizona.
