chronic regional pain syndrome (aka RSD)

Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), is a very painful condition usually involving an extremity like the hand or foot. Typically caused by a crush injury, injury to a nerve(s) or even surgery, CRPS typically presents itself as prolonged or excessive pain with mild or dramatic changes in skin color, temperature, and/or swelling in the affected area. Patients affected by this condition often experience allodynia, or pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke pain. As a result even things like light touch, showering, or even sleeping with the bedsheets covering the extremity can be very painful! Without early intervention, this condition can progress to the point that one avoids using the extremity as much as possible, which can result in muscle atrophy, contractions, spasms, as well as a loss in bone density.

As a physician, I treat the first diagnosis of this condition with utmost importance in order to halt its progression. This condition very often misdiagnosed, so if you have sustained an injury, surgery, or prolonged immobilization, and have noticed increased hand or foot swelling, color changes, or extreme pain out of proportion to the stimulus, then consult your physician about the possibility of CRPS.