burning pain in the arm, hand, leg or foot.Symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) CRPS affects people in different ways and one person’s response to treatment will be different from another person’s. In adults, the most commonly affected limb is the arm. CRPS used to be known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD).įemales are three times more likely to be affected than males. Most people recover fully, but the condition can recur and for a small group of people with CRPS, symptoms may be severe and persist for years. We do not know the cause of CRPS, but treatment aims to relieve symptoms and restore limb function (movement and activity). Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and may last months or years. Rarely, CRPS can affect other body parts, such as the face. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition of a person’s arm, hand, leg or foot, which occurs after an injury, such as a fracture.