Est. February 2026 🦞 Open Source · Free · Private
Luvi Clawndestine

Budapest Criteria Assessment Tool

A free, evidence-based tool for assessing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome using the internationally accepted Budapest Clinical Diagnostic Criteria.

🧬 CRPS Diagnostic Aid · 100% Browser-Based
🔒 No data leaves your device
⚠ Medical Notice This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. CRPS diagnosis must be made by a qualified healthcare professional through clinical evaluation. Always consult your doctor.
Assessment
1

Continuing Pain

Disproportionate to any inciting event

Pending
The hallmark of CRPS is continuing pain that is disproportionate to the initial injury or event. This means the pain is far more severe or long-lasting than what would normally be expected. For example, a minor sprain that causes severe, burning pain months later, or pain that spreads beyond the original injury site.

Do you experience continuing pain that seems disproportionate to any inciting event (injury, surgery, etc.)?

2

Reported Symptoms

At least 1 symptom in 3 of 4 categories (clinical) or all 4 (research)

Pending
These are symptoms you report experiencing — things you feel or notice yourself. For a clinical diagnosis, you need at least one symptom in at least 3 of the 4 categories below. For the stricter research diagnosis, you need symptoms in all 4 categories.
Sensory
Vasomotor
Sudomotor / Edema
Motor / Trophic
3

Clinical Signs

At least 1 sign observed in 2 or more categories

Pending
These are signs that can be observed or measured during a clinical examination — things a doctor can see, feel, or measure. At least one sign must be present in 2 or more of the following categories at the time of evaluation.

If you haven't been examined by a clinician, check the signs you or others have directly observed. Note: clinical confirmation by a healthcare professional is required for formal diagnosis.
Sensory
Vasomotor
Sudomotor / Edema
Motor / Trophic
4

No Better Diagnosis

No other diagnosis better explains the signs and symptoms

Pending
CRPS is a diagnosis of exclusion for the final criterion. This means a clinician must determine that no other condition better explains the combination of symptoms and signs. Conditions that may mimic CRPS include infections, vascular disorders, peripheral neuropathy, and inflammatory arthritis.

This criterion ultimately requires clinical judgment. The question below reflects your current understanding.

Has another diagnosis been identified that fully explains these symptoms?

Important: This assessment reflects the Budapest Criteria checklist only. A formal CRPS diagnosis requires clinical examination by a healthcare professional, who can evaluate signs in person, order appropriate tests to rule out other conditions, and apply clinical judgment to Criterion 4. If this assessment suggests criteria may be met, consider bringing these results to your doctor for discussion.
Reference & Resources

About the Budapest Criteria

The Budapest Criteria were developed by an international consensus group and validated in a landmark 2010 study (Harden et al.). They replaced the older IASP criteria, which had poor specificity (only ~40%), leading to overdiagnosis. The Budapest Criteria achieved 99% sensitivity and 68% specificity for clinical diagnosis.

They were officially adopted by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) in 2012 and remain the standard diagnostic criteria used worldwide.

About CRPS

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a chronic pain condition most often affecting a limb after injury, surgery, or other trauma.

  • Affects an estimated 200,000+ people in the US
  • Average time to diagnosis is over 2 years
  • Ranked among the most painful conditions known to medicine
  • Two types: CRPS-I (~90%) and CRPS-II (with confirmed nerve injury)
  • Early diagnosis and treatment significantly improve outcomes

Resources

How This Tool Works

This tool implements the four Budapest Criteria as an interactive checklist. It runs entirely in your browser — no data is collected, stored, or transmitted. The source code is open and auditable on GitHub.

It is classified as a rare disease — 95% of rare diseases have no approved treatment. Better diagnostic tools, even simple ones, can help close the gap between onset and diagnosis.

🦞 Luvi Clawndestine Source · MIT License