Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in the Foot — Advanced Treatment in Michigan

CRPS: When Pain Becomes All-Encompassing

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome — formerly RSD — is a chronic pain condition characterized by disproportionate burning pain, swelling, skin changes, and hypersensitivity following a minor injury or surgery. When CRPS develops in the foot, it can be completely disabling. Balance Foot & Ankle provides the most advanced podiatric pain management tools available for Michigan CRPS patients.

CRPS Symptoms in the Foot

Continuous burning or throbbing pain disproportionate to the original injury, extreme sensitivity to touch (even light fabric causes excruciating pain), swelling and temperature changes (abnormally hot or cold), skin color changes (mottled, blue, or red), changes in hair and nail growth, muscle weakness and stiffness, and progressive difficulty bearing weight.

Treatment at Balance Foot & Ankle

CRPS treatment is multidisciplinary, and we contribute the podiatric component. MLS laser therapy reduces neuroinflammatory pain components and may improve skin temperature normalization. EMTT magnetotransduction provides deep electromagnetic modulation of pain pathways, with growing evidence for use in central and peripheral sensitization syndromes. Protective orthotics and gradual desensitization protocols help patients re-establish normal foot use.

We work closely with neurologists, pain management specialists, and other members of your treatment team — CRPS patients deserve a comprehensive approach, not isolated single-specialty care.

Call (810) 206-1402. We take CRPS seriously. Howell and Bloomfield Hills.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) of the Foot in Michigan: Diagnosis and Multidisciplinary Treatment

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) affecting the foot and ankle is among the most challenging conditions in podiatric medicine — characterized by pain disproportionate to the inciting injury, autonomic features (skin color changes, temperature changes, sweating abnormalities), motor dysfunction, and trophic changes to the skin, nails, and bones of the affected limb. CRPS most commonly develops after a foot or ankle injury — a seemingly minor ankle sprain, a fracture, or a surgical procedure — where the normal inflammatory response becomes dysregulated into a chronic pain syndrome involving sensitization of the peripheral and central nervous systems. Early recognition of CRPS is critical: the window for effective intervention with sympathetic nerve blocks and aggressive physical therapy is greatest in the first 3–6 months after onset.

At Balance Foot & Ankle, CRPS of the foot is managed as part of a multidisciplinary team: our podiatrist manages the structural and biomechanical components (appropriate footwear, orthotics, wound care if present, surgical wound complications if CRPS arose post-operatively), while coordinating with pain management specialists (for sympathetic nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation consideration), physical therapy (graded motor imagery, desensitization, aquatic therapy), and when indicated, psychology (pain catastrophizing and central sensitization respond to cognitive behavioral therapy). Michigan CRPS patients often feel their condition is not adequately understood by their current care team — if you have been told you have CRPS affecting a foot or ankle, or if you have foot pain that is out of proportion to your injury with skin and temperature changes, call Balance Foot & Ankle at (810) 206-1402 for a specialized evaluation at our Howell or Bloomfield Hills office.

The most important thing Michigan patients with suspected or diagnosed CRPS of the foot should know is that early treatment significantly improves long-term outcomes. CRPS that is diagnosed and treated within 3–6 months of onset has a much higher rate of remission or significant improvement than CRPS that has been present for over a year. If you have had foot or ankle surgery or a significant foot injury in the past 6 months and have developed disproportionate pain, skin color or temperature changes, hair or nail changes, or swelling that seems out of proportion to the injury — contact a specialist promptly. At Balance Foot & Ankle, we recognize early CRPS presentations and facilitate rapid referral to the multidisciplinary team needed for optimal management. Call (810) 206-1402 for an urgent evaluation if you suspect CRPS in a post-injury or post-surgical foot.

Related Treatment Guides

• Plantar Fasciitis & Heel Pain Treatment
• Custom 3D Orthotics
• Sports Foot & Ankle Injury Treatment
• Bunion Treatment

Michigan patients experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to call Balance Foot & Ankle at (810) 206-1402 to schedule an evaluation at our Howell office at 4330 E Grand River or our Bloomfield Hills office at 43494 Woodward Ave #208. Same-week appointments are available for most conditions, and our clinical team brings the diagnostic expertise and treatment options needed to address complex foot and ankle presentations that have not responded to prior care. Don’t continue to defer treatment — early evaluation leads to earlier resolution and prevents the complications that years of untreated conditions can cause.

Medical References & Sources

• American Podiatric Medical Association — Patient Education
• American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society — Foot Conditions

Your Board-Certified Podiatrists

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM

Board-Certified · FACFAS

Dr. Carl Jay, DPM

Board-Certified Podiatrist

Dr. Daria Gutkin, DPM

Podiatrist

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM is a double board-certified podiatrist and foot & ankle surgeon at Balance Foot & Ankle Specialists in Southeast Michigan. With over a decade of clinical experience, he specializes in heel pain, bunions, diabetic foot care, sports injuries, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Biernacki is a member of the APMA and ACFAS, and his patient education content on MichiganFootDoctors.com and YouTube has reached over one million views.