Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Chronic Pain is one of the fastest growing medical conditions in Australia, currently 1 in 5 Australians live with Chronic Pain. Complex reginal pain syndrome (CRPS) is a form of chronic pain that normally effects an arm or leg and typically develops after an injury or surgery. Pain in the area is more severe than that of the initial injury, and lasts for a longer period of time than would usually be expected.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Sensitivity to touch
• Swelling in the affected area
• Continuous throbbing or burning
• Changes in skin temperature, texture and/or colour
• Decreased ability to move the arm or leg

Symptoms differ from person to person and can change over time. Initial symptoms often include redness, hypersensitivity, swelling & heightened pain.

How Can Hand Therapy Help?

Hand therapy can help people with chronic pain by addressing any underlying cause of the pain and assessing for symptoms of CRPS. Hand therapy practitioners are trained specifically in managing
CRPS in the hand or upper limb, and can utilise new therapy techniques that aim to retrain the brain and nervous system connection to help reduce chronic pain. This can be done through gentle, therapeutic movement exercises, improving the cortical representation of the hand in the brain, and use of mirror therapy.