Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful and debilitating condition that usually occurs after limb injury but can also occur without injury. Persons with CRPS experience a range of symptoms including severe pain, swelling, problems with limb movement, and extreme and variable changes in temperature sensation and limb colour. Living with CRPS can be extremely distressing and is often associated with significant disability and loss of function. Prevention is desirable, with prompt diagnosis and early treatment being considered best practice. However, this standard of care has yet to be achieved across health care settings. The Liverpool approach, experiences in reducing CRPS incidence, and development of acute CRPS pathways will be presented during this webinar.

Question from audience: Are there similar pathways and guidelines used in Scotland?

Reply from Sharon: Emma Mair has adapted our work in Scotland and she is happy to be contacted for any further discussion - emma.mair@aapct.scot.nhs.uk

Question from audience: Is Sharon was happy to share a copy of the A4 pathway at the end?

Reply from Sharon: The pathway is included in the handout

The handout for this session is available by clicking the handout icon on the bottom right-hand corner of the video player.
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    Sharon Gillespie
    Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner in Hand Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust

    Sharon Gillespie has been working as an advanced physiotherapy practitioner in hand therapy at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital for the last 25 years. She leads a busy hand therapy unit supporting 5 hand surgeons. Her practice includes the management of trauma as well as hand and wrist conditions, and she is based in hand fracture clinics, hand elective clinics, and therapies departments across two hospital sites. She leads the hand musculoskeletal assessment service and manages a well-established team of hand therapists. Teaching widely on the topic of hand therapy, she has also presented nationally on complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) at BAHT Physio UK and BSSH.

    Having a special interest in preventing and managing acute CRPS post trauma, she has presented widely and published several papers regarding CRPS. She has co-developed a free European app for therapists (CRPS ASSIST) on behalf of EFIC. She is an active member of the CRPS UK Clinical Research Network and has contributed to RCP CRPS guidelines.