Name(s):
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome
Causalgia
Acute peripheral trophoneurosis
Algodystrophy
Chronic traumatic oedema
Mimocausalgia
Neurovascular posttraumatic painful syndrome
Neurovascular reflex dystrophy
Neurovascular reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Posttraumatic chronic edema
Posttraumatic osteoporosis
Posttraumatic pain syndrome
Posttraumatic sympathetic dystrophy
RSD
Shoulder-hand syndrome, Spreading neuralgia
Sudeck atrophy
Sympathalgia
Thermalgia
Traumatic angiospasm
Traumatic vasospasm
Nature
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic neurological syndrome characterized by: severe burning pain, pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling and extreme sensitivity to touch. It is best described in terms of an injury to a nerve or soft tissue (e.g. broken bone) that does not follow the normal healing path CRPS development does not appear to depend on the magnitude of the injury. The sympathetic nervous system seems to assume an abnormal function after an injury.
Background
There are two types of complex regional pain syndrome: CRPS Type I (also referred to as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSD) are cases in which the nerve injury cannot be immediately identified CRPS Type II (also referred to as causalgia) are cases in which a distinct "major" nerve injury has occurred.