28/11/2025
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
“When Pain Doesn’t Match the Injury…”
“You sprained your ankle months ago… but instead of healing, the pain gets worse, the skin changes color, and even light touch feels unbearable — this could be CRPS.”
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a chronic pain condition that usually starts after an injury, fracture, surgery, or even a minor trauma. Instead of healing normally, the nerves become overly sensitive, sending exaggerated pain signals. The affected limb may swell, change color, feel unusually warm or cold, or even become stiff and weak over time.
Causes:
CRPS develops when the peripheral and central nervous systems overreact after an injury. It can follow fractures, soft-tissue trauma, infections, surgery, burns, immobilization, or sometimes without a clear trigger.
Nerve Affected:
Primarily the sympathetic nervous system (which controls blood flow, sweating & temperature regulation), along with altered pain pathways in the sensory nerves.
Symptoms:
Deep burning pain, swelling, temperature changes (hot or cold limb), shiny or thin skin, increased sweating, altered hair or nail growth, joint stiffness, muscle weakness, and severe sensitivity — even light touch or a breeze can trigger pain.
Physiotherapy Management:
Treatment focuses on gradually desensitizing the limb, improving functional movement, restoring normal use, and reducing hypersensitivity. Techniques often include contrast therapy, gentle weight-bearing, mobilization, graded motor imagery, mirror therapy, strengthening, and functional re-training of the limbs
Therapeutic Exercises:
1. Gentle desensitization using soft cloths or textures
2. Pain-free range of motion for the joints
3. Mirror therapy to retrain the brain's pain map
4. Graded weight-bearing to normalize movement
5. Functional hand or foot tasks like picking objects or tapping toes
Prevention:
Early mobilization after fractures or injuries, avoiding prolonged immobilization, proper pain management, and gradually restoring movement without fear or avoidance behaviors.
👉 “Know someone dealing with unexplained chronic limb pain? Tag them — I’ll share a simple home program that can reduce hypersensitivity and rebuild confidence.”
Health.Tip
