What is CRPS?

What is CRPS?
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), sometimes called "the Suicide Disease" due to its severe and unrelenting pain, is a chronic neurological condition that most often affects a limb after injury or surgery. It’s caused by damage or malfunction in the peripheral and central nervous systems, resulting in constant, burning, stabbing, or crushing pain — often disproportionate to the original injury.

Symptoms may include:

• Continuous, intense pain (often described as fire or electric shocks)

• Swelling, skin discoloration, temperature changes

• Sensitivity to touch, even from something as light as a bedsheet

• Muscle spasms, weakness, and joint stiffness

There’s no known cure, and treatments often focus on pain management, physical therapy, and regaining function. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial.

CRPS is rare, but for those who have it, it can be life-altering.