Complex regional pain syndrome

What is complex regional pain syndrome? Professor Karen Rodham explains this poorly-understood condition and provides information on the causes, diagnoses and treatment and self-management options available to people living with it.

If you would like to know more about the sources of evidence consulted for this publication here.

More Information on CRPS

Websites

• Burning Nights: a UK charity that raises awareness of CRPS: www.burningnightscrps.org/
• CRPS UK: a patient led charity, raising awareness and supporting people with CRPS through experience, understanding and education: www.crps-uk.org/
• CRPS Network UK: a research network made up of a number of UK NHS trusts and academic institutions with an interest in CRPS. One of its main aims is to raise awareness and understanding of CRPS among health professionals, patients and the general public: www.crpsnetworkuk.org/
• Relate: an organisation which aims to help couples to find a way through any difficulties they may be facing in their relationship: www.relate.org.uk/relationship-help/help-relationships/relationshipcounselling.

Books and leaflets

• Arthritis Research UK: an organisation which aims to improve the quality of life of people with arthritis. They have produced a leaflet about CRPS: www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritisinformation/conditions/complexregional-pain-syndrome.aspx
• Hydrotherapy leaflet: www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritisinformation/therapies/hydrotherapy.aspx
• Manage your pain, by Liz Macleod and Paul Cameron. A booklet published by Pain Concern
• Sleeping with Pain: Strategies for a restful night from a pain-management expert by Sue Peacock (2016)
• Learning to cope with CRPS/RSD: Putting life first and pain second by Karen Rodham (2015)
• Royal College of Physicians CRPS guidelines: www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelinespolicy/complex-regional-painsyndrome-adults.

Podcasts

• An award from the RS MacDonald Charitable Trust allowed us to produce this leaflet and two radio programmes on CRPS, Airing Pain programme 94 and Airing Pain programme 95.

Karen Rodham is Professor of Health Psychology at the Staffordshire Centre for Psychological Research. She designed and then led the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome psychology service for adults at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases for six years.