Question
What are the Budapest Criteria for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)?
Answer
Budapest Criteria for CRPS
- Pain and at least one symptom in 3 of these categories:
- Sensory: hyperalgesia and/or allodynia
- Vasomotor: temperature asymmetry and/or skin color changes and/or skin color asymmetry
- Sudomotor/Edema: edema and/or sweating changes and/or sweating asymmetry
- Motor/Trophic: decreased range of motion and/or motor dysfunction (weakness, tremor, dystonia) and/or trophic changes (hair, nail, skin)
- Must display at least one sign at the time of evaluation in two or more of the following categories:
- Sensory: hyperalgesia (to pinprick) and/or allodynia (to light touch and/or deep somatic pressure and/or joint movement)
- Vasomotor: temperature asymmetry and/or skin color changes and/or asymmetry
- Sudomotor/Edema: edema and/or sweating changes and/or sweating asymmetry
- Motor/Trophic: decreased range of motion and/or motor dysfunction (weakness, tremor, dystonia) and/or trophic changes (hair, nail, skin)
- There is no other diagnosis that better explains the signs and symptoms
https://www.blbchronicpain.co.uk/news/what-are-the-crps-budapest-criteria/
The Budapest criteria are the best way to classify someone as having CRPS and the gold standard. We can observe these changes in the clinic. There are also clinical tests that can be run.
If you are seeing symptoms and are unsure where to classify them, this is a nice reference to use.
Additional resource:
AOTA (2021). Position statement-role of OT in pain management. AJOT, 75(Suppl.3), 7513410020. doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.75S3001
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Complex regional pain syndrome: Functional, biomechanical, and psychosocial interventions, Janice Rocker, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, CEAS.
