Every day, community nurses are faced with a multitude of illnesses and conditions, some of which will be easy recognisable while others will be harder to spot. In this respect, the complex make-up of the human body itself presents a challenge. One condition that may not be easily recognisable and which may rarely be encountered by community nurses is complex regional pain syndrome. Here, I hope to provide some guidance on this condition for nurses, and, in particular, help speed-up any diagnosis and subsequent rehabilitation.