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Guide Post-Surgical & Complex Pain
When a Sprain Will Not Stop Hurting: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Explained
CRPS is pain in a limb that is far stronger than the injury that started it, often with changes in skin colour, temperature and sweating. Early movement and early assessment matter.
This article is general health information written by our editors from the sources listed below. It has not yet been medically reviewed — see our medical review policy. It is not advice for your situation.
The wrist fracture healed on schedule. The cast came off. But the hand did not go back to normal: it burned, it swelled, it changed colour, and the brush of a sleeve was agony. Weeks became months. This is the territory of complex regional pain syndrome — uncommon, frightening, and much better recognised than it once was.
What CRPS is
NINDS describes CRPS as a condition that usually affects a limb after an injury and causes ongoing pain that is much stronger than expected, even after the injury has healed. The limb is often very sensitive, so that light touch may feel painful, and normal pain there or elsewhere may feel much more intense than usual. The affected arm or leg may show changes in skin, temperature, nails or hair, along with unusual sweating; the skin can look blotchy, blue, purple, grey, pale or red, and may become shiny and thin or thick and scaly. Over time a person may have trouble moving the limb and may develop weakness, tremors or stiffness. In severe or long-lasting cases people cannot work or do their usual activities. Pain and difficulty with everyday tasks can improve over time, but most people still have some pain after a year.
Two types
Type 1 happens after an illness or injury that did not cause specific nerve damage — most people with CRPS have this type. Type 2 happens after damage to a specific nerve. The triggering injury can seem minor: a burn, a cut or scrape, a wrist or ankle sprain. Over time pain can spread from the injury site to include most or all of the limb, and less often a “mirror” pain appears in the same place on the opposite side.
Why movement matters
A natural response to a limb that hurts to touch is to protect it and stop using it. NINDS notes that not using the limb can itself cause swelling and changes in skin and nails, even without CRPS, which makes it hard to tell which changes are the condition and which are disuse. Gentle movement and early physical therapy may help. That is one reason early assessment matters: the sooner the condition is recognised, the sooner a plan that keeps the limb moving can begin.
Treatments pain specialists use
CRPS is managed with a combination of approaches, and interventional pain medicine has a specific role. SEVA Healthcare lists, on its nerve-pain and post-surgical pain pages, treatments it offers that include CRPS among their uses: lumbar sympathetic block (for leg and foot CRPS), stellate ganglion block (for upper-limb CRPS), peripheral nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation, and ketamine infusion therapy. Nerve blocks can be both diagnostic and therapeutic; stimulation treatments begin with a trial. As always, suitability depends on an individual evaluation.
What this does not cover
CRPS is a clinical diagnosis made by a clinician after excluding other causes; this article cannot tell you whether you have it. Pain out of proportion to an injury, with colour or temperature changes in the limb, is a reason to be seen soon rather than to wait.
Questions to discuss with your clinician
- Could this be CRPS, and what else needs to be ruled out?
- How do I keep the limb moving safely, and can physical therapy start now?
- Which treatments are appropriate at this stage, and in what order?
- If a nerve block or stimulation is suggested, what does the test or trial involve?
Our Post-Surgical & Complex Pain and Nerve & Neuropathic Pain pages gather related coverage and link to SEVA Healthcare’s official pages.
Frequently asked questions
Can CRPS start after a minor injury?
Yes. The triggering injury can seem minor, such as a burn, a cut or scrape, or a wrist or ankle sprain.
What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 CRPS?
Type 1 happens after an illness or injury that did not cause specific nerve damage, and most people with CRPS have this type. Type 2 happens after damage to a specific nerve.
Should I avoid using a limb that hurts to touch?
Not using the limb can itself cause swelling and changes in skin and nails, even without CRPS. Gentle movement and early physical therapy may help, and how to keep the limb moving safely is worth discussing with a clinician.
When should I get seen for possible CRPS?
Pain out of proportion to an injury, with color or temperature changes in the limb, is a reason to be seen soon rather than to wait. CRPS is a clinical diagnosis made by a clinician after excluding other causes.
Sources
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome — NINDS (NIH), 2026-10-16
- Nerve & Neuropathic Pain — SEVA Healthcare (official service page), 2026-10-16
- Post-Surgical & Complex Pain — SEVA Healthcare (official service page), 2026-10-16
This article is sponsored content by SEVA Healthcare and is for general information only — it is not medical or legal advice. Treatment options depend on an individual evaluation, and results vary from person to person. In an emergency, call 911. Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.
