Screening and Diagnosis

Your doctor may base a diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome on:

• Review of your medical history. The onset of complex regional pain syndrome symptoms can often be traced back to an accident, illness or injury.
• Physical examination. An examination of your skin, muscles and joints may reveal information about the source of your tenderness and pain. There may be changes in the normal texture and color of your skin, and you may have problems with range of motion of one or more of your joints.
• Bone scan. A radioactive substance injected into one of your veins permits viewing of your bones with a special camera. This procedure may show increased circulation to the joints in the affected area.
• Sympathetic nervous system tests. These tests look for disturbances in your sympathetic nervous system. For example, thermography measures the skin temperature and blood flow of your affected and unaffected limbs. Other tests can measure the amount of sweat on both limbs. Dissimilar results can indicate complex regional pain syndrome.
• X-rays. Loss of minerals from your bones may show up on an X-ray in later stages of the disease.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Images captured by an MRI device may show a number of tissue changes, such as skin thinning and muscle atrophy, that may help your doctor determine the stage of your disease.

2007-04-02

© 1998-2008 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Terms of Use