The main symptom of chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a severe, continuous burning pain in part or all of a limb. This could be in one of your arms, legs, hands, feet or ankles.
The pain is usually triggered by an injury, and is a lot worse than you would normally expect. For example, you may have a minor ankle sprain, but the pain can feel like a severe burn.
If you have CRPS, the skin of the affected body part can become very sensitive, and even the slightest touch, bump, or change in temperature can provoke a feeling of intense pain.
You may hear this described in the following medical terms:
- hyperalgesia – when you are extremely sensitive to pain
- allodynia – when you feel pain from something that should not be painful at all, such as a very light touch
In more severe cases of CRPS, the muscles in the affected limb may begin to wither (atrophy). This usually occurs if the person affected is unwilling to use their limb due to the associated pain.
Other symptoms
CRPS can cause some other symptoms, including:
- alternating changes in skin temperature – sometimes your skin may feel sweaty, while at other times it may feel cold and clammy
- changes in skin colour – your skin tone may range from pale and colourless to pink, or it may have a blue tinge and appear blotchy or streaky
- changes in skin texture – your skin may appear shiny and thin
- changes in the way that your hair and nails grow – they may grow unusually slowly or unusually quickly
- swelling, pain and stiffness in the affected joints
- increasing difficulty moving the affected body part
Stages of CRPS
The symptoms of CRPS usually progress in three distinct stages. However, not everyone will experience all of the possible symptoms, or progress through all three stages. The three stages of CRPS are outlined below.
Stage one
The first stage usually lasts from one to three months, and is characterised by an intense, burning pain in one of your limbs. You may experience:
- muscle spasms (when your muscles contract tightly and painfully)
- joint stiffness
- rapid growth of hair and nails
The blood vessels in your limb will also be affected, causing a change in skin colour and temperature.
Stage two
The second stage of CRPS usually lasts from three to six months. The pain in your affected limb may get worse, and the skin colour and texture changes may be more pronounced. Symptoms of swelling and stiffness become more severe, and the muscle tone in your affected limb will begin to weaken.
Stage three
The third stage of CRPS is the last stage of the condition. At this point, any changes to your affected limb are likely to be irreversible. These may include:
- significant loss of muscle tone in the affected limb
- the bones of the limb may have become contorted (bent out of shape)
- the joints in the affected limb may be stiff
- you will probably find it very difficult to use or move your limb
Fortunately, with prompt and effective treatment, it is possible to stop the progression of CRPS to its final stage, preventing irreversible damage from occurring.
