CRPS stands for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It is a chronic pain disorder of the nervous system that, as of now, has no known cure.
The condition usually appears after surgery or an injury to a limb — such as a broken bone, a fracture, or a strain. My CRPS showed up after a minor ankle sprain in November of 2021.
A great analogy for understanding CRPS is to think of the nervous system as a car alarm. A normal car alarm goes off only when there is real damage to the car from something like a broken window or a crash. However, in a person with CRPS, the car alarm is set off by much gentler stimuli, such as a gust of wind or a simple touch of the handle.
Essentially, CRPS is an over-reaction of the nervous system. The problem with treating CRPS is that once the central nervous system becomes hyper-sensitized, it becomes very difficult for it to return to normal.
To use another analogy, think of the nervous system as a light switch. Once a person’s CRPS becomes chronic, the light switch is turned on and can not be turned back off. Instead, it can only be dimmed lower, hopefully low enough for the pain to fall into the background.
My pain is two fold: I experience nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. Nociceptive pain is a medical term used to describe the pain from physical damage to the body — such as an ankle sprain — which causes symptoms such as sharp, aching, or throbbing sensations. Neuropathic pain is used to describe the pain that develops when the nervous system is damaged or not working properly, and is characterized by burning, stinging, shooting, tingling, and numbness — all of which are worse at night. Unlike nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain does not develop in response to any specific circumstance or outside stimuli. Because of the nature of CRPS, I experience both real neuropathic pain and perceived nociceptive pain from my previous ankle sprain, despite the fact that it has healed.
My pain flares for a myriad of reasons, which makes it so debilitating. It can last seconds, hours, or days, and is often unprovoked, appearing completely spontaneously. My foot is sensitive to changes in temperature, touch, fabric textures, physical activity, stress, fatigue, hunger, my period, poor diet, etc.
Unfortunately, CRPS is not widely known or understood by many doctors. It is very often misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed at all. Many people receive the wrong treatments or no treatment whatsoever, allowing the condition to worsen. For example, before my diagnosis I was told to ice my foot, which I did daily for two months — it wasn’t until after my diagnosis that I learned icing my foot was only making it worse.
The most important thing you can have when fighting CRPS is information, which is why I’m starting this blog.
I’ve linked some websites below that I found to be great introductory resources for new patients.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Thank you for reading and I hope you find this blog to be a helpful guide while you or your loved one fights this condition. And to my family and friends, thank you reading and following along in my journey.
