Effective CRPS Management: Helpful Lifestyle Changes and Medical Interventions

A new diagnosis of chronic regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, is often devastating. You may not know what to expect from the illness or how to manage it successfully. The good news is there are several lifestyle changes and treatments that help.

CRPS is chronic and often requires several modes of treatment to manage symptoms throughout your life. Combining home therapies, lifestyle changes, and medical interventions usually calms the condition and allows you to function normally.

Dr. Stephanie S. Jones and her team at Consultants in Pain Medicine provide current and effective pain management strategies for CRPS and other chronic pain conditions. Dr. Jones evaluates every patient and develops a customized plan for optimal and long-term relief.

The facts on CRPS

CRPS is a condition that occurs when something disrupts the central and peripheral nervous systems, causing an overreaction to pain. Although it can happen anywhere, it's prevalent in the hands, feet, arms, and legs.

Two types of CRPS affect the limbs. Type 1 happens without known nerve damage, while type 2 occurs after known nerve damage. Every kind of CRPS causes various sensory symptoms, which include:

• Heightened pain sensitivity
• Numbness in the limb
• Abnormal skin swelling
• Skin temperature changes
• Decreased motor function
• Changes in skin texture and color
• Changes in how your nails and hair grow

Pain is the most prevalent symptom of CRPS. It can be constant or intermittent and feel like burning or stinging deep under the skin of the affected limb.

Some cases of CRPS happen without any known triggering event, while others occur after an injury, surgery, or broken bone. Symptoms typically develop about a month after something causes nervous system dysfunction.

Lifestyle changes that alleviate pain

Although it’s a rare condition, it’s essential to know that there are treatment options for CRPS. If you’re living with CRPS, Dr. Jones often recommends both lifestyle changes and medical interventions to manage symptoms successfully.

The first step in managing CRPS is looking at your health and lifestyle choices. Dr. Jones offers several tips to reduce pain and take control of your health when living with CRPS, including:

• Quit smoking
• Manage chronic medical conditions
• Keep the affected limb elevated
• Wear compression garments
• Exercise daily
• Apply heat to alleviate pain
• Use topical analgesics

She also offers physical therapy as an option to manage pain, increase function in the affected limb, and improve your overall quality of life. PT provides exercises, stretches, and other techniques to calm the nervous system and improve symptoms.

Medical treatments for CRPS

Lifestyle changes aren't always enough to manage the pain and symptoms of CRPS. If you’re struggling to deal with the condition with home remedies, Dr. Jones offers several other treatment options, including:

Medications

There aren’t any medications specifically for CRPS, but Dr. Jones uses various medications to alleviate physical and mental symptoms. She may recommend anti-inflammatory medications, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, or a combination of these medications for symptom relief.

Injections

If oral medications don’t work, Dr. Jones offers nerve blocks to alleviate pain. These injections typically include a corticosteroid for inflammation relief and a local anesthetic for immediate pain relief. Botox® injections are another successful option for pain control.

Spinal cord stimulation

When conservative measures fail to relieve the symptoms of CRPS, Dr. Jones recommends more invasive options like spinal cord stimulation. Although a complex treatment, it reduces long-term pain by tricking the brain with electrodes near the spinal cord.

Intrathecal pain pumps

Intrathecal pain pumps are another medical treatment option that provides pain relief by delivering pain medication directly into the spinal cord fluid.

What’s the prognosis of CRPS?

Everyone responds differently to CRPS; some people manage it with lifestyle changes and medications, while others require more invasive pain management techniques. For most people, though, the condition gets better over time.

Many people find long-term ways to manage their condition, often going into remission and regaining normal function of the affected limb. Unfortunately, CRPS can reoccur in some people, causing further distress and pain.

However, taking care of your body and mind in the initial stages of the condition dramatically increases the chances of finding successful therapies for long-term relief of CRPS.

Call today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jones to learn more about our treatments for CRPS. You may also request a consultation on our website.