Overview
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that causes pain, changes in skin color and other symptoms in a certain part of your body — usually in your extremities. Your extremities include your arm, leg, hand or foot.
The symptoms of CRPS can greatly impact the function of your affected limb, sleep, daily activities and your mental health.
Experts believe that CRPS occurs as a result of dysfunction in your central or peripheral nervous systems. Your central nervous system consists of your brain and spinal cord. Your peripheral nervous system relays information from your brain and spinal cord to your organs, arms, legs, fingers and toes. The abnormal functioning results in an overreaction to pain signals that your nervous system can’t shut off.
There are two subtypes of CRPS:
- Type I: This type occurs without nerve damage. It happens after an illness or injury that didn’t directly damage a nerve. Type I was formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
- Type II: This type occurs after known nerve damage. It was formerly known as causalgia.
CRPS can also either be acute (short-term) or chronic (lasting longer than six months). It’s usually treatable.
Who does CRPS affect?
CRPS more commonly affects adults than children. The peak onset is around 40 years of age. CRPS affects people assigned female at birth more often than people assigned male at birth.
About 66% to 80% of cases occur in people of European ancestry.
How common is CRPS?
CRPS is relatively rare. It affects about 200,000 people every year in the United States.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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