Complex regional pain syndrome is unknown to many around the world, with around 200,000 people suffering from this rare condition. It is a unique disease and one that it is often triggered by something else, like a car accident or other trauma-causing physical injury, although they may be relatively mild in many cases. You may be very surprised to find out that you are being diagnosed with CRPS as whatever injury you had seemed to have already healed; for instance, you may have been in a car wreck and broken an arm or a leg, or you may have only suffered a small sprain.

The injury may heal without any complication, and you may be back to normal temporarily, with the sudden surprise of a variety of different symptoms cropping up due to the emergence of CRPS—presenting itself in a variety of ways, but often beginning with skin abnormalities like discoloration, redness, swelling, and itching. There may be muscle and joint aches and pains, loss of mobility, and other strange and uncomfortable issues like dystonia, where fingers or toes may become curled in an unnatural position.

One of the distinguishing features of CRPS also, not surprising due to its name, is the advent of terrible and chronic pain. As a CRPS patient, you may be so uncomfortable that you are afraid to do anything that brings on agony, whether that is just the slightest movement, or taking a walk—or even having someone brush up against your skin. This is a problem because of the lack of mobility or motivation to move around may then result in muscle atrophy. While there are numerous treatments that may help CRPS, including steroids, over-the-counter treatments opioids, anticonvulsants, and more, physical therapy is often recommended, with a long list of other associated alternatives too.

Conventional physical therapy involves working with medical professionals familiar with CRPS to exercise the affected areas gently and begin helping you to increase circulation in the area and eventually regain mobility, especially in conjunction with any helpful medications. Other therapies may help too, like spinal cord stimulation, biofeedback, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver that brought on CRPS after your initial injuries healed, contact the attorneys at Heintz & Becker. We’ve helped victims from Bradenton, Sarasota, and all over Florida get compensation for their damages and medical expenses after accidents. Call us for a free consultation now at 941-748-2916 or contact us online. We are here to help!

All blogs are written on behalf of Heintz & Becker for informational purposes. These articles should not, however, be considered legal advice, or in any way responsible for creating an attorney/client relationship.