What Is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) And What Causes It?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a complicated chronic pain condition that produces significant disability and dysfunction. In a majority of cases, CRPS follows acute trauma or major injury to an arm or leg. Surgery, such as carpal tunnel decompression, can also trigger CRPS. It may also be triggered by a minor injury, such as a strain, sprain or laceration, or spinal cord injury. 

CRPS usually affects the upper or lower extremities, although it can affect other areas of the body as well. The main symptom is constant pain, intensely burning and often out of proportion to the severity of the initial injury. Other symptoms may include dramatic changes in the color and temperature of the skin over the affected limb or body part, skin sensitivity and tenderness to touch, sweating, changes in skin texture, changes in hair and nail growth, swelling and stiffness in joints, and decreased motor ability, especially in the affected body part. Tremor and muscle spasm may develop, and edema of the affected limb can be marked. Muscle atrophy and joint contracture may occur, and bones of the limb can become osteoporotic. 

The cause of CRPS is not entirely understood, although in some cases is thought to stem from dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system that controls blood flow and sweat gland activity. While it is normal for the sympathetic nervous system to respond to injury, the response normally quiets down as healing occurs; however, in individuals with CRPS, it can remain active despite a lack of ongoing trauma. 

At Atkinson Law Office, P.A. and Minnesota Disability, we represent injured workers with Minnesota workers' compensation injuries every day.  Every year we recover millions of dollars in benefits for injured workers; including medical, wage loss, retraining assistance and monetary benefits for permanent injuries.  Though attorneys Thomas Atkinson and Kerry Atkinson will litigate your matter on your behalf, we have a team approach in assuring we stay on top of your case day in and day out.

Nearly every one of our staff members has personal experience in the struggles of workers compensation injuries or has worked for work comp insurance companies before coming to work for our office.  They know the secret tips to obtaining benefits for you.  Whether you have had a back injury or such from chronic pain, we are ready to assist.

Contact Atkinson Law Office and Minnesota Disability today at 651-333-3636 and visit our website for more information.  You can also submit your questions online by following this link.  Remember your consultation is FREE and there is never a fee until we recover benefits for you. 

Minnesota Workers Compensation Injuries Can Result in Chronic Pain, RSD, and CRPS

When I began assisting injured workers over 20 years ago at the start of my career, I had never heard of the terms complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).  Sure we encountered clients with unusual pain patterns that had the peculiar tendency to move, but little was known about this as a stand alone disease.  This condition was not treated as a disease, but rather a symptom.  In fact, many doctors still treat CRPS as a symptom rather than the illness it is recognized today.  CRPS is a highly painful, limb-confined condition, which arises usually after trauma. It is associated with a particularly poor quality of life, and large health care costs. The causes of CRPS remain virtually unknown but is usually referred to as an immunodisorder or one's body's reaction to trauma that is extreme.   The condition's distinct combination of abnormalities includes limb-confined inflammation and tissue hypoxia, sympathetic dysregulation, small fiber damage, serum auto antibodies, central sensitization and cortical reorganization. These features place CRPS at a crossroads of interests of several disciplines including rheumatology, pain medicine and neurology.  As such it's often difficult to diagnose, treat and manage.

Significant scientific and clinical advances over the past 10 years hold promise both for an improved understanding of the causes of CRPS, and for more effective treatments.  The treatment of CRPS is multidisciplinary and aims to educate about the condition, sustain or restore limb function, reduce pain and provide psychological intervention.  Unfortunately most majo
r cities, including those in Minnesota have a very limited number of experts willing to actively treat and manage CRPS.  However, results from recent randomized controlled trials suggest that it is possible that some patients whose condition was considered refractory in the past can now be effectively treated, but confirmatory trials are required.

At Atkinson Law Office and Minnesota Disability we have represented and currently represent many clients with diagnosed CRPS.  We are familiar with the medical experts in Minnesota and are often helpful in guiding injured workers to referrals to said physicians and clinics possessing expertise in CRPS.  If you have a work related injury and would like a FREE consultation (yes it is absolutely free), please call us today at 651-333-3636.  We represent injured workers across Minnesota and those injured while working for Minnesota employers across the country.  We have a team of professionals with unparallelled experience, most with literally decades of experience in workers compensation both as injured workers themselves.  At Minnesota Disability and Atkinson Law Office we are ready to assist you today.