Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is a painful and often disabling condition. It usually develops after an injury, surgery, or another medical event, and it tends to affect women more than men. About 60% of cases involve the hands or upper limbs, while the rest usually involve the feet or legs—though CRPS can occur almost anywhere in the body.
Patients often describe severe burning pain, swelling, skin color changes, and difficulty moving the affected limb. Over time, the condition can also impact the nervous system and even the way the brain processes pain. Unfortunately, many patients are left with few answers. They may see a neurologist only to receive a diagnosis without real treatment options, or they are referred to pain management where long-term opioid use can become a dangerous trap.
So what can be done?
How Hyperbaric oxygen Can Help CRPS
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offers hope where other therapies fall short.
By breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber, hyperbaric oxygen treatment triggers powerful healing processes:
- New blood vessel growth (angiogenesis): repairs inflamed arteries and restores circulation to the affected area.
- Neuroplasticity: encourages the brain and peripheral nerves to form new, healthier connections, improving nerve function.
- Reduced inflammation: lowers harmful inflammatory signals while boosting protective ones, calming both nerve and vascular inflammation.
- Stem cell support: increases circulating stem cells in the brain and central nervous system, encouraging repair.
- Genetic healing: HBOT can help restore telomeres—protective caps on DNA that shorten with stress and disease.
Together, these effects may significantly reduce pain, restore mobility, and improve quality of life.
What to Expect from Treatment
There isn’t one single HBOT protocol for CRPS. Pressures around 2.0 ATA are often used, but the exact settings depend on each patient’s condition.
- Early cases sometimes respond within 10–14 sessions.
- Chronic or long-standing CRPS often require more treatments and sometimes ongoing maintenance.
- Each case is unique. Treatment plans are customized depending on whether the problem is mostly nerve-related, circulation-related, or both.
As we often say: “The longer something has been broken, the harder it is to fix.” This is especially true for CRPS.
The Importance of Proper Diagnosis
CRPS is notoriously difficult to diagnose because it changes over time. Patients can go through acute, chronic, and late phases, each with different appearances. Even experienced physicians may miss it. That’s why many patients feel dismissed or misdiagnosed before finding HBOT.
While Hyperbaric oxygen is not a guaranteed cure, it can provide meaningful relief and recovery when other therapies have failed.
The Bottom Line
CRPS can steal independence and hope—but it doesn’t have to. At Noah Clinics, we approach CRPS with compassion, expertise, and advanced tools like HBOT. We work alongside neurologists, pain specialists, and surgeons, not in place of them, because CRPS care often requires a whole team.
For many patients, Hyperbaric oxygen has been the first therapy to offer real improvement.
If you or a loved one has CRPS/RSD, reach out to us. We’ll listen, evaluate, and see how HBOT can be part of your journey back to relief and recovery.
