As you begin your recovery from a serious injury or from extensive surgery, you may discover that you still have lingering pain that doesn’t seem to be getting any better or in fact is getting worse. In these cases, you may need complex regional pain syndrome treatment from an experienced CRPS specialist near me in New York City. The best doctors who treat complex regional pain syndrome near me are at Pain Management NYC. Call them today to find out if you have complex regional pain syndrome and get effective new treatments for CRPS, like nerve stimulation.
What Is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)?
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain disorder that can occur in one or more limbs. It usually develops after an injury, surgery or stroke. The condition causes severe, persistent pain that’s out of proportion to the original injury. CRPS can also cause changes in your skin temperature or color, as well as swelling in the affected limb. CRPS interferes with your daily activities, including walking, working and sleeping.
Without effective treatment for CRPS, you may develop serious complications, such as:
- Infections
- Muscle atrophy
- Osteoporosis
To manage your condition, you need the best CRPS treatment from experienced doctors who treat complex regional pain syndrome near me in New York City. At Pain Management NYC, pain disorder specialists with extensive knowledge about complex regional pain syndrome treatments use the most advanced technology and techniques to offer you effective solutions to manage this disorder and get your life back on track.
Two of the newest and most effective treatments include:
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Peripheral nerve stimulation
What Causes Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
Complex regional pain syndrome is a condition that occurs when the nervous system malfunctions and sends abnormal pain signals to the brain. Type 1 CRPS is the most common type, accounting for about 90 percent of cases. It occurs without any evidence of nerve damage, and it usually follows an injury or surgery that affects the limbs.
Type 2 is the less common type of CRPS that occurs with clear evidence of nerve damage, and it usually follows a nerve injury, such as a cut, a gunshot wound or a compression.
Other possible triggers of CRPS include:
- Injury or surgery. CRPS often develops after an injury or surgery that affects the limbs, such as a fracture, sprain, burn or amputation. The injury may not directly damage the nerves, but cause inflammation, bleeding or infection that affects the nerve function.
- Stroke or heart attack. CRPS also occurs after a stroke or heart attack that damages the brain or the blood vessels. This affects the blood flow and oxygen supply to the nerves, causing them to malfunction.
- Infection or autoimmune disease. Some infections or autoimmune diseases, such as shingles, Lyme disease or rheumatoid arthritis, affect the nerves and cause inflammation or damage that triggers CRPS in some people.
- Idiopathic. In some cases, CRPS develops without any known cause or trigger. This may be due to genetics, hormones or psychological factors that make some people more prone to the condition.
What Doctors Treat Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Near Me?
Pain Management NYC offers a variety of new treatments for CRPS. The aim is to relieve your symptoms, improve function and prevent further damage. A CRPS specialist near me in New York City finds the best complex regional pain syndrome treatments for your condition and guides you through the recovery process.
They also treat related disorders, such as:
Your doctor may prescribe medications to reduce the pain, nerve damage and inflammation associated with CRPS. These include pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs and topical creams or patches. Your pain management expert may also administer a strong anesthetic through nerve block injections that substantially alleviate pain in some cases.
Other complex regional pain syndrome treatments include:
- Physical or occupational therapy. Professionals provide physical or occupational therapy to improve the strength, flexibility and coordination of the muscles and joints in the affected limb. Therapy helps with pain management, wound healing and prevention of contractures or deformities.
- Nerve stimulation. Peripheral nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation are two of the most effective treatments for CRPS today. They involve implanting electrical wires to stimulate the problem nerve and keep it from transmitting pain signals.
- Ketamine infusions. This intravenous drip, using ketamine, must be administered by a trained ketamine professional like those at Pain Management NYC.
- Surgery. Your CRPS specialist near me may perform surgery for severe cases of CRPS, especially if the nerve damage is caused by compression neuropathy, injury or infection. The doctor uses new treatments for CRPS and the most advanced technology and techniques to decompress, repair or remove the affected nerves, and restore the function and sensation of the limb.
- Alternative treatments for CRPS. Your doctor might recommend relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga or hypnosis to reduce stress and anxiety that hinder healing and make recovery more difficult. You may also receive regenerative therapy, such as stem cell therapy or platelet-rich plasma therapy, to promote healing and regeneration of the damaged tissues.
What Are the Symptoms of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
CPRS comes with continuous and severe pain, which has a mix of sensations like a stab or a burn. This pain is often out of proportion to the severity of the original injury and spreads to other parts of the body.
In addition to pain, CRPS also causes a range of other symptoms that affect the skin, muscles, joints and bones of the affected limb.
These symptoms vary from person to person, but may include:
- Changes in skin temperature, color or texture. The skin may become hot, red and dry, or cold, blue and sweaty. The skin may also become tender, thin or shiny. These changes are harder to see on brown and black skin.
- Swelling or inflammation of the affected limb. The limb may appear larger or smaller than the opposite limb, and feel tight or stiff.
- Changes in hair and nail growth. Your hair and nails may grow faster or slower than usual and become prone to breaking.
- Muscle spasms, tremors or weakness. The muscles may contract involuntarily, causing abnormal movements or postures. The muscles may also lose strength or mass, affecting the function and appearance of the limb.
- Joint stiffness or damage. The joints may become swollen, stiff or deformed, limiting the range of motion and flexibility of the limb.
- Reduced ability to move the affected limb. The pain and other symptoms may make it difficult or impossible to use the limb for daily activities, such as walking, working or sleeping.
If you’re wondering whether there’s a CRPS specialist near me in New York City, contact Pain management NYC, where you find the top pain management doctors. They use proven medical technologies and techniques to provide the most effective complex regional pain syndrome treatment to reduce your pain, improve your function and reclaim a pain-free life.
Boleslav Kosharskyy, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is board-certified in Anesthesiology, Interventional Pain Medicine, and Palliative Care.
Dr. Kosharskyy is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical College. He’s also the Associate Medical Director of Pain Medicine and Director of Anesthesia for the Joint Replacement Center at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein Medical College.
He is an active member of the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA), the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), and the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)