According to the National Pain Foundation, although the actual prevalence is unknown, CRPS is not a rare disorder. According to the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association of America (RSDSA), CRPS may affect millions of people in the United States. Unfortunately, because symptoms vary so widely many people are not quickly diagnosed with CRPS.
Occurrence In Children
In children, the syndrome occurs in girls four times more often than in boys. Average age of onset of CRPS / RSD is 12.5 years. Most children with CRPS type I are from upper middle class families and are athletic.
A typical pediatric patient with CRPS type I is a female who participates in ballet, soccer or gymnastics. Researchers have hypothesized that there may be a genetic predisposition to CRPS type I.
