CRPS and work
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition that can develop after an injury or other event affecting a limb. The pain may be severe and persistent, and can occur alongside sensitivity, swelling, changes in skin temperature or colour, weakness and restricted movement. When CRPS significantly affects physical function and the ability to manage everyday or workplace activities, it may have a substantial impact on a person's capacity for employment and their ability to continue working.
CRPS is a chronic pain condition that usually affects a limb following an injury or other event. It can involve severe pain disproportionate to the original injury, along with changes affecting sensation, movement, skin temperature or colour. The condition can vary considerably between individuals.
Persistent pain may also affect sleep, concentration and mental stamina, independent of which limb is affected, and these secondary effects are often just as relevant to work capacity as the physical restrictions themselves.
“The real question isn’t ‘How severe was the original injury?’ It’s ‘What can I still reliably do?’”
The condition itself
CRPS symptoms vary between people, but commonly reported symptoms can include:
Typing and writing, using tools, lifting, repetitive movements, fine motor tasks
Walking and standing, climbing, driving, balance, manual work
One of the most distinctive and difficult features of CRPS is that pain levels can be disproportionate to what would normally be expected from the original injury, sometimes triggered by something as minor as light touch or a change in temperature. This can make CRPS genuinely difficult for others, including employers and sometimes even other treating professionals, to fully understand, since the visible injury may have long since healed while the pain and functional impact remain severe. Specialist pain medicine or neurology involvement is often important in properly documenting this pattern.
A potential assessment may consider severity, duration and functional restrictions; mobility, treatment history and response to treatment; your occupation, education, training and experience; and attempts to return to work, prognosis and policy definition. The diagnosis alone doesn't establish eligibility; the focus is on your actual capacity to perform employment.
Potentially. TPD insurance through superannuation is not necessarily limited to conditions caused by employment; the circumstances surrounding your condition and the terms of your policy need to be considered. Living with persistent severe pain can also affect sleep, mood and concentration; where these effects contribute to reduced work capacity, they may form part of the overall picture.
Evidence may include pain specialist and neurologist reports, physiotherapy and occupational therapy assessments, medication history, functional capacity assessments, employment records and work capacity certificates. CRPS can be an extremely difficult condition to manage, particularly when pain and physical restrictions continue despite treatment. If CRPS has changed your ability to work, Thrive Claims can investigate your potential TPD insurance through your superannuation.
Questions, answered
Straight answers about CRPS, work capacity and TPD claims, written in plain English.
Complex regional pain syndrome can cause burning pain, swelling and sensitivity so severe that using the affected limb at work becomes impossible, and TPD claims may be worth considering. Our superannuation claims support helps identify what cover your fund holds. An income protection claim may also apply during treatment, and if you have several accounts, claims through multiple superannuation funds may be possible. Our services outline every option.
CRPS commonly follows a fracture, sprain, surgery or crush injury, sometimes from a relatively minor event. Whether that injury happened at work or elsewhere, TPD looks at your policy and your capacity to work. Claims centre on physical injury or illness, and frequently include mental health injury or illness, as constant pain often affects mood and sleep.
If CRPS contributes to receiving the Disability Support Pension or NDIS funding, your super insurance may still be worth checking. Neither confirms Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) claims eligibility on its own, but it may have valid basis. If the original injury came from a motor vehicle accident, Thrive Claims can explain how separate claims may work together.
Specialist claim pathways
Australia wide support
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Start with a free assessment of your circumstances and any TPD cover held through superannuation.