NINDS Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Information Page

Synonym(s):   Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, Causalgia
Condensed from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Fact Sheet

Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)

What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition.  The key symptom of CRPS is continuous, intense pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury, which gets worse rather than better over time. CRPS most often affects one of the arms, legs, hands, or feet.  Often the pain spreads to include the entire arm or leg.  Typical features include dramatic changes in the color and temperature of the skin over the affected limb or body part, accompanied by intense burning pain, skin sensitivity, sweating, and swelling.  Doctors aren’t sure what causes CRPS.  In some cases the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in sustaining the pain.  Another theory is that CRPS is caused by a triggering of the immune response, which leads to the characteristic inflammatory symptoms of redness, warmth, and swelling in the affected area.

Is there any treatment?

What is the prognosis?

What research is being done?

NIH Patient Recruitment for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Clinical Trials

• At NIH Clinical Center
• Throughout the U.S. and Worldwide

Organizations

American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) P.O. Box 850 Rocklin, CA   95677-0850 ACPA@pacbell.net http://www.theacpa.org Tel: 916-632-0922 800-533-3231 Fax: 916-652-8190	Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA) P.O. Box 502 99 Cherry Street Milford, CT   06460 info@rsds.org http://www.rsds.org Tel: 203-877-3790 877-662-7737 Fax: 203-882-8362
American RSDHope Organization P.O. Box 875 Harrison, ME   04040-0875 rsdhope@roadrunner.com http://www.rsdhope.org Tel: 207-583-4589	National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain P.O. Box 70045 Houston, TX   77270 NFTPain@cwo.com http://www.paincare.org Tel: 713-862-9332 Fax: 713-862-9346
American Pain Foundation 201 North Charles Street Suite 710 Baltimore, MD   21201-4111 info@painfoundation.org http://www.painfoundation.org Tel: 888-615-PAIN (7246) Fax: 410-385-1832	National Headache Foundation 820 N. Orleans Suite 217 Chicago, IL   60610-3132 info@headaches.org http://www.headaches.org Tel: 312-274-2650 888-NHF-5552 (643-5552) Fax: 312-640-9049
Mayday Fund [For Pain Research] c/o SPG 136 West 21st Street, 6th Floor New York, NY   10011 mayday@maydayfund.org http://www.painandhealth.org Tel: 212-366-6970 Fax: 212-366-6979	International Research Foundation for RSD/CRPS USF Medical Clinics c/o Dr. A. Kirkpatrick 12901 Bruce Downs Blvd., MDC59 Tampa, FL   33612 info@rsdfoundation.org http://www.rsdfoundation.org Tel: 813-907-2312 Fax: 813-830-7446

Publicaciones en Español

• El Síndrome de Dolor Regional Complejo

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Last updated December 11, 2008