If you have limb pain, swelling, burning, or sensitivity, complex regional pain syndrome might be the reason. At Pain Medicine Group in Sarasota and Oviedo, Florida, interventional pain medicine specialists offer a variety of treatments to alleviate your discomfort and help you live life to its fullest. Call the office to schedule an appointment, or book one online today.
Complex regional pain syndrome is a type of ongoing pain that often affects your arms or legs. It could appear after a stroke, heart attack, or injury, but its cause isn’t entirely clear. Treatment at Pain Medicine Group can give you the pain relief you need to maximize your quality of life.
Common signs and symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome include:
Some of these symptoms are irreversible, which is why early diagnosis and treatment of complex regional pain syndrome is important.
While the cause of complex regional pain syndrome is a mystery and anyone can develop it, certain factors increase your risk for it. Examples include:
To reduce your risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome after an injury, take high-dose vitamin C after a fracture and practice early mobilization (walking around) soon after having a stroke.
There are several ways your Pain Medicine Group provider can diagnose complex regional pain syndrome.
They discuss your symptoms and medical history and complete a physical examination. Your provider could suggest you undergo a bone scan, sweat production tests, MRIs, or X-rays to make a final diagnosis and detect or rule out other problems.
If you struggle with complex regional pain syndrome and want relief, your provider may recommend one of the following treatments:
Oral, topical, or intravenous (IV) medicines can reduce pain, inflammation, and complications linked with complex regional pain syndrome.
Heat therapy can reduce the swelling and discomfort you may experience with complex regional pain syndrome.
Physical and/or occupational therapy can improve strength, reduce pain, and improve musculoskeletal function when you have complex regional pain syndrome. Mirror therapy can improve limb function and alleviate ongoing discomfort.
The use of long, thin needles placed into strategic areas of your body can improve blood flow and reduce pain due to complex regional pain syndrome.
TENS uses noninvasive electrical impulses to target nerve endings and reduce ongoing pain.
Your pain specialist can place a spinal cord stimulator under the skin near your spinal cord to deliver electrical currents that diminish pain signals.
Your doctor might recommend using intrathecal pumps to deliver medicine into spinal cord fluid and reduce ongoing discomfort.
If you suspect you have complex regional pain syndrome and want relief, call the Pain Medicine Group office or schedule an appointment online today.
