CRPS

CRPS stands for complex regional pain syndrome. It is a condition in which there is chronic burning pain in your limbs like arms, legs, hands or feet. A previous trauma or injury generally triggers CRPS. There are two types of CRPS
-TYPE 1: It is triggered by a minor injury like fractured or sprained ankle.
-TYPE 2: It is triggered by a serious injury like a broken bone or serious infection or operation where nerves have been damaged. Generally 90% of cases are TYPE 1 CRPS.Generally people between the age group of 40 to 60 are affected by this condition but it may affect other people including children. It is more commonly found in women.

Symptoms:

The symptoms for CRPS range from mild to severe. The main symptom is severe pain and burning sensation in one or all the parts of a limb like arms and legs. A person affected with CRPS has extremely sensitive skin and a slight change in temperature or a slight touch may give rise to intense pain. In severe cases the muscles in a limb may start to wither. Some other symptoms include the following
-The skin temperature may change alternately. Sometimes it will be sweaty while other times it may become cold
-The skin colour may change. The skin may appear pale, colourless or pink. It may have a blue tinge and appear streaky.
-The texture of skin may change
-Changes in the growth of hair and nails. They may grow unusually quickly or slowly.
-Difficulty in moving the affected body part
-There may be swelling, stiffness and pain in the affected body part.

Stages of CRPS

The symptoms progress through three stages but everyone may not experience all of them.
STAGE 1: It lasts for 1 to 3 months. In this stage one experiences intense pain, and burning in the limb affected. There may be rapid growth of hair and nails, joint stiffness and muscle spasm.
STAGE 2: It lasts between 3 to 6 months. In this stage the pain intensifies with prominent change in skin colour and texture.
STAGE 3: This is the last stage and any change in the affected part is irreversible. It will become difficult to use or move the limb in this stage.

Cause:

The exact cause of this syndrome is still unknown. Some theories related to the cause of this syndrome are:
Psychological abnormalities –Some believe that some unidentified psychological trauma, or difficulty makes people think they are experiencing pain. People suffering from CRPS undergo real physical changes in their nervous system, so this theory is largely discredited.
Sympathetic nervous system malfunction-Malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system may cause CRPS.
Immune system malfunction-Type 2 CRPS may be caused if your immune system does not work properly.

Treatment:

A multi-disciplinary approach to treatment is recommended due to complex nature of this syndrome. The following specialists may be involved for the treatment.
-Neurologist
-Occupational therapist
-Physiotherapist
-Psychologist
-Pain relief specialist
Some treatments given to people suffering from this syndrome are listed below
-Physiotherapy
-Pain relief
-Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
-Nerve blocks
-Anticonvulsants
-Tricyclic antidepressants
-Opiates such as diamorphine can be used for short term relief if the patient is suffering from severe pain.