What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)?

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a common, disabling and poorly understood disorder. CRPS is sometimes also referred to as posttraumatic dystrofia (PD) or reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

The syndrome is characterized by pain and various combinations of autonomic, sensory, motor, and trophic changes. Most common symptoms are changes in skin colour and skin temperature. Swellings also occur regularly. Other symptoms are movement limitations, changes in sweat patterns, contorted muscles, and changes in growth of the skin, hair and nails.

In most cases CRPS-1 develops after a trauma, such as an injury or surgery. But sometimes no clear cause for the disease can be found. CRPS is most likely to affect the limbs (mainly the arms), but can also occur in other parts of the body.

There are two types of CRPS: CRPS without nerve damage (type 1) and CRPS with nerve damage (type 2).