Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

If you’re one of the 200,000 Americans with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), you can find the pain relief you need at Union Anesthesia Associates. The board-certified anesthesiologists personalize a treatment plan to ease your pain. They work out of offices in Union, Scotch Plains, Bloomfield, South Bound Brook, New Brunswick, Old Bridge, and Woodbridge, New Jersey. They offer resources to prevent chronic health complications that complex regional pain syndrome can cause. Call the Union Anesthesia Associates office nearest you today to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for complex regional pain syndrome, or book your appointment online.

What is complex regional pain syndrome?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS) is a chronic pain condition that can develop after surgery, a traumatic event such as a fracture, or even a minor injury. Fractures and other injuries can also increase your risk of CRPS.

CRPS pain typically affects a leg or arm. The level of pain you experience is more severe than the pain of the original injury.

The root cause of complex regional pain syndrome isn’t well understood. However, injury to the nerves in your peripheral or central nervous systems can play a role. Without an early diagnosis and treatment, CRPS can lead to abnormal muscle contractions and atrophy, the premature wasting away of your muscles and bones.

Union Anesthesia Associates offers nonsurgical treatments for pain and other CRPS symptoms. The board-certified pain management specialists focus on increasing your comfort and minimizing your risk of debilitating complications that CRPS can cause.

What are the symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome?

The most apparent symptom of complex regional pain syndrome is a persistent throbbing or burning pain in your arm, hand, leg, or foot. You could also experience:

• Muscle spasms
• Muscle weakness
• Skin discoloration
• Increased sensitivity to touch
• Changes in skin temperature
• Joint stiffness and swelling
• Reduced range of motion in the affected limb

CRPS symptoms can change over time, which could indicate that your condition is irreversible. If the condition spreads, you can also experience CRPS symptoms in the opposite limb.

Schedule an evaluation at Union Anesthesia Associates if you have pain or other symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome. The providers might request X-rays and other diagnostic imaging tests to assess your bones’ and soft tissues’ health and rule out other conditions.

How is complex regional pain syndrome treated?

The Union Anesthesia Associates pain management specialists draw up a treatment plan to manage your symptoms and prevent complex regional pain syndrome from getting worse.

Based on the severity of your symptoms, they could recommend:

• Heat therapy
• Physical therapy
• Pain relievers
• Corticosteroids
• Nerve blocks

You might also be a candidate for spinal cord stimulation to manage chronic CRPS pain. A spinal cord stimulator delivers low electrical currents into overactive or damaged nerves to prevent pain signals from traveling to your brain. It's implanted beneath your skin and activated by a remote control you use during pain episodes.

Call the Union Anesthesia Associates office nearest you today to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome or book your consultation online.