Treatment for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Series Summary

Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic disease that is characterized by extreme pain in the bones and soft tissues of the body. There are two known types of CRP syndrome that differ by the onset of nerve lesions. Type II CRPS is known as causalgia and shows obvious signs of lesions. Type I CRPS is known as Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, Sudeck’s atrophy, Reflex neurovascular dystrophy, or algoneurodystrophy. Treatment for CRP syndrome ranges from electric stimulation to surgery and physical therapy.

In this series of expert videos, you will learn more about complex regional pain syndrome and how to treat it with physical therapy. Our expert discusses the different treatment methods for CRP syndrome and shows you how to use different exercises for treatment of this syndrome. You’ll see toe exercises, hip rotation exercises, wrist exercises, and posture exercises that will help the treatment of various aches and pains. You will also find video clips of our expert demonstrating finger exercises, shoulder exercises and foot scrubbing exercises that make your pain bearable.

Video Transcript

"Hi! I am Monica and today I am going to talk to you about some of the CRPS exercises that you might see a physical therapist give someone who has CRPS or complex regional pain syndrome. CRPS is not a condition that should go untreated. You want to make sure that you see your family doctor and they'll more than likely send you to a physical therapist or an occupational therapist, so again these exercises are by in no way shape or form a substitute for treatment that you need from skilled medical providers. To give you an example, some of the exercises that again physical therapist, occupational therapist might prescribe if they do see a patient that does have CRPS. CRPS just for a little info for you is very painful and it does take a while to recover, so these exercises would be something that would be in a long term treatment plan. Again, only sample exercises, since every person is different and every case is different, the therapist is going to have to decide which type of exercises is going to work best and when they want them to be initiated. "