Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition.  The key symptom of CRPS is continuous, intense pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury, which gets worse rather than better over time. CRPS most often affects one of the arms, legs, hands, or feet.  Often the pain spreads to include the entire arm or leg.  Typical features include dramatic changes in the color and temperature of the skin over the affected limb or body part, accompanied by intense burning pain, skin sensitivity, sweating, and swelling.  Doctors aren’t sure what causes CRPS.  In some cases the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in sustaining the pain.  Another theory is that CRPS is caused by a triggering of the immune response, which leads to the characteristic inflammatory symptoms of redness, warmth, and swelling in the affected area. Because there is no cure for CRPS, treatment is aimed at relieving painful symptoms.  Doctors may prescribe topical analgesics, antidepressants, corticosteroids, and opioids to relieve pain.  However, no single drug or combination of drugs has produced consistent long-lasting improvement in symptoms.  Other treatments may include physical therapy, sympathetic nerve block, spinal cord stimulation, and intrathecal drug pumps to deliver opioids and local anesthetic agents via the spinal cord. The prognosis for CRPS varies from person to person. Spontaneous remission from symptoms occurs in certain individuals.  Others can have unremitting pain and crippling, irreversible changes in spite of treatment. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct research relating to CRPS in laboratories at the NIH and also support additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country.  NINDS-supported scientists are studying new approaches to treat CRPS and intervene more aggressively after traumatic injury to lower the chances of developing the disorder. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&term=reflex+sympathetic+dystrophy+AND+human[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[ptyp]+OR+review+literature[mh]+OR+practice+guideline[ptyp]+OR+guideline[ptyp]+OR+clinical+trials[mh]+OR+clinical+trial[ptyp]+OR+consumerj[sb])&db=PubMed&orig_db=PubMed&filters=on&pmfilter_EDatLimit=5+Years http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/reflexsympatheticdystrophy.html 1 http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term= /disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/pubs_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.htm /disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/xml_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.xml xml_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.xml Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy SyndromeCausalgia V588 American RSDHope Organization

P.O. Box 875

Harrison ME 04040-0875 rsdhope@roadrunner.com http://www.rsdhope.org 207-583-4589 National nonprofit organization for patients, families, medical professionals, and others concerned with RSDS/CRPS. Offers medical information and emotional support and works to raise national awareness and funding for research. V844 International Research Foundation for RSD/CRPS

1910 East Busch Boulevard

Tampa FL 33612 info@rsdfoundation.org http://www.rsdfoundation.org/ 813-907-2312 813-830-7446 Not-for-profit organization dedicated to education and research on RSD/CRPS. Works to establish an international research network to help educate medical professionals and support research worldwide. V204 Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA)

P.O. Box 502

99 Cherry Street Milford CT 06460 info@rsds.org http://www.rsds.org 203-877-3790 877-662-7737 203-882-8362 National not-for-profit organization that promotes greater public and professional awareness of RSD, a painful neurological syndrome. Raises funds for research and educates patients, their families and friends, insurance and healthcare providers, professionals, and the public.