Hi !

I'm new to this forum, I'm a 33 years old man from Canada.

I had an ankle sprain 16 years ago and never got rid of the pain.

I've seen hundreds of doctors and therapists, did tons of x-rays, mri, emg, echography, scans of all kind, etc. Results are always negative.

Tried lots of different medications, even dilaudid doesn't help much.


I would like to know if CRPS ALWAYS cause changes in the affected body part like swelling, redness, change of temperature, etc. In my case, I don't have any visual signs, both of my feet look the same. Temperature feels the same too.

My problem is with the pain. I can't stand or walk for more than 30 seconds without feeling pain and after 4-5 minutes I have to sit, like my foot is super sensitive to pressure.

On some occasions (which are starting to happen more often), I start feeling a very sharp burning sensation in my foot. Sometimes the pain can reach 9/10.

I also started doing graded motor imagery (mirror therapy), and it seems to interfer with my pain. Sometimes doing mirror therapy gives me flares up (9/10 pain), sometimes it can make it go away... Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

So like I said, my question is:
Can I have CRPS and NOT have color/shape/temperature changes in my foot and only have the pain component of the disorder?

Interesting question. Do you have any change in color, sweating, nail or hair changes, any other symptoms besides pain relating to pressure?
Have you been actually diagnosed with CRPS or any other condition?

My understanding is that in order to be diagnosed with CRPS, you must have evidence of edema, changes in skin blood flow or abnormal sudomotor activity in the region of pain.

Pain alone may not be enough for a CRPS diagnosis. But the burning sensation you are experiencing sure sounds familiars. But we're not doctors here. Others will likely chime in.

Hi Flip,
Welcome to the forum.
As Birchlake was saying, some of your issues sound familiar, but a dx from a doctor who knows CRPS is the only true way to tell. It would be strongly advised.
CRPS does not show all symptoms at once. But a doctor familiar with CRPS can tell.
Please keep us informed on the outcome.
And good luck...

Welcome FLiPyx.

The answer is that you can't be diagnosed with CRPS if the only clinical sign or symptom you have is pain, regardless of how bad the pain is.

The diagnostic criteria for CRPS require a number of signs and symptoms to be present across several categories. They don't all have to be there at the same time but they do need to be or have been present. It is possible to have chronic pain or chronic neuropathic pain following trauma and not have CRPS. All other possible conditions and causes have also got to be ruled out before CRPS can be diagnosed. The diagnostic criteria are not that complicated and you should be able to find them fairly easily on the web.

Hello and sorry you are dealing with so much pain for so long!

It would be more helpful for all of us if you could describe the type of pain you are having ie., is it burning, stabbing, aching, sharp, electrical, etc. I did see that you mentioned resent onset of burning pain is this in the same area you are describing the pain that keeps you from walking/standing?

Also you mentioned pain starts after you start walking - is that the only time it causes you pain?

When the foot does burn do you have shoes/socks on or off or does it matter?

Is this pain in the same place as the original sprain or somewhere else?

Has anyone injected things like lidocaine or steroids and if so did that help?