There is currently no medical tests for CRPS, the diagnosis is made using accepted clinical guidelines. These guidelines are known as the Budapest Criteria.
Your pain needs to be disproportionate to the injury
You need to have one of the following symptoms from three or more of the following categories:
- sensory: an abnormal sensitivity and/or pain caused by non-painful stimuli
- Vasomotor: skin colour changes or temperature and/or skin colour changes between the limbs
- Sudomotor/oedema: swelling (oedema) and/or sweating changes and/or sweating differences between the two limbs
- motor/trophic: decreased range of motion and/or motor dysfunction (weakness, tremor, muscular spasm and/or changes to the hair and/or nail and/or skin on the limb
On examination by your healthcare provider at least one sign must be present in two or more of the following categories:
- Sensory: hyperalgesia (to pinprick) and/or allodynia (to light touch) and/or deep physical pressure and/or joint movement.
- Vasomotor: temperature differences between the limb and/or skin colour changes and/or skin colour changes between the limbs.
- Sudomotor/oedema: oedema and/or sweating changes and/or sweating differences between the two limbs.
- Motor/trophic: decreased range of motion and/or motor dysfunction (ie weakness, tremor or muscle spasm) and/or trophic changes (hair and/or nail and/or skin changes).
It is important that no other diagnosis can explain the signs and symptoms
Management of CRPS uses an interdisciplinary approach. If present for a long time it can cause anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. Ideally, treatment should be started as soon as possible for the best possible prognosis. We emphasize the use of graded motor imagery for managing CRPS,
David Butler on Graded Motor Imagery https://youtu.be/zWyhpiXy9Ig