When my sister was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, her doctor called it something else – reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. Does it have two names and what are its symptoms?

Complex regional pain syndrome, usually called CRPS, used to be called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Doctors began using CRPS when they found it was a more accurate way of describing the syndrome.

The symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome include:
– a burning pain in the affected area
– skin sensitivity beyond what you would normally expect
– changes in skin temperature, color, or texture of the affected area, different from the other limb
– shiny or sweaty skin
– swelling in affected joints
– stiffness in affected joints
– difficult moving the affected body part