CRPS Specialist

What is CRPS?

CPRS is a relatively rare chronic pain condition that typically develops after an injury, surgery, stroke or another traumatic event. The pain is localized to a specific region of your body such as an arm or leg, but it can develop anywhere.

CRPS is believed to come from damage to your central and peripheral nervous systems. The condition is classified as either CRPS-I or CRPS-II. While the variations cause similar symptoms, CRPS-II is used to describe the pain of a confirmed nerve injury. CRPS-I, on the other hand, is known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome and is the term for pain from an unconfirmed nerve injury.

What are the symptoms of CRPS?

CRPS causes a variety of painful symptoms that can make movement intolerable. Some of the symptoms include:

• Continuous throbbing pain
• Sensitivity to temperature or touch
• Swelling
• Changes to skin color, temperature, and texture
• Changes to nail or hair growth
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Muscle spasm
• Muscle atrophy, including weakness
• Decreased mobility

Your symptoms may change over time, and often symptoms vary between patients, which can make CRPS challenging to diagnose and treat. The team at South Lake Pain Institute takes your health and your pain seriously, and they work tirelessly to diagnose your pain and identify the most effective procedures to reduce it.

How is CRPS treated?

The physicians at South Lake Pain Institute provide customized pain management programs to provide relief and help you maintain an active and healthy life. Some of the treatments and procedures they use to address CRPS include:

• Over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers
• Antidepressants
• Corticosteroids
• Nerve block injections
• Ketamine infusion therapy
• Topical analgesics
• Physical therapy
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Biofeedback
• Acupuncture

It may take some trial and error to find the best treatments to resolve your pain. You need to be patient while searching for your treatment, and also be frank with your doctor about your symptoms and the effectiveness of your treatments.

What is a ketamine infusion?

Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic. Some studies show that a low dose of ketamine administered through an IV can substantially alleviate pain. Ketamine IV therapy usually takes 60 minutes, including 40 minutes for the IV and 20 minutes for recovery. If you have questions about ketamine infusions, ask your doctor if this treatment can help relieve your pain.

Call or schedule an appointment online today to meet with the pain management experts at South Lake Pain Institute for effective and compassionate treatments for CRPS.