CRPS – Complex regional pain syndrome

CRPS is the short form for complex regional pain syndrome. Other words used for this illness are: reflex dystrophy, morbus sudeck, sudeck dystrophy, algodystrophy or sympathetic reflex dystrophy.

CRPS is a special kind of chronic pain condition. It can often be triggered in children by harmless injuries such as twisting an ankle, but also serious injuries. Over time, pain arises in the affected body part, for example, in the foot or the hand. This pain can be so bad that even the movement of air over the place can be perceived as intolerable. At the same time the affected body part is clearly swollen and the skin changes, for example, it becomes red or hot.

Pain therapy for children

The German Children’s Pain Center has dev eloped a multimodal pain therapy concept that helps many children. According to this concept, not just one doctor is involved in this treatment, but a team of physiotherapists, children’s and adolescents’ psychotherapists and pediatricians. Fortunately, we can completely do without the use of strong pain medications or methods that invade the body – for example, injecting anesthetics into nerves in the back. The concept is specially suited to the needs of children and adolescents, and focuses on biopsychosocial causes of illness.