Diagnosis

Diagnosis of CRPS is based on a physical exam and your medical history. There's no single test that can definitively diagnose CRPS, but the following procedures may provide important clues:

• Bone scan. This procedure might help find bone changes. A radioactive substance injected into one of your veins allows your bones to be seen with a special camera.
• Sweat production tests. Some tests can measure the amount of sweat on both limbs. Uneven results may indicate CRPS.
• X-rays. Loss of minerals from your bones may show up on an X-ray in later stages of the disease.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Images captured with an MRI test may show tissue changes that rule out other conditions.