Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Treatment

Complex regional pain syndrome is chronic pain in the upper and lower limbs that typically occurs as a result of an injury or condition that causes dysfunction in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Complex regional pain syndrome may be accompanied by symptoms such as motor deficits and sensory problems. This syndrome is characterized by pain that is significantly more intense than the severity of the injury or circumstance that caused it. While the symptoms are typically focused within one area, in some cases, they may spread to other parts of the body as well.

 

Nerve damage that causes complex regional pain syndrome is believed to be the result of conditions such as heart attack, stroke, a serious injury (e.g., spinal injury), or the side effects of surgery. These conditions are associated with excessive nerve inflammation and damage, which is believed to be the source of high levels of pain that do not correspond to the severity of the underlying injury or condition.

The neurological systems believed to be associated with complex regional pain are the peripheral and the central nervous systems. In terms of the peripheral nervous system, when the small nerve fibers that transmit information with blood vessels are damaged, they become overactive, leading to inflammation of the nerve along with disruption to the blood vessel, such as dilation, constriction, or leaking fluid into surrounding tissue. Blood vessel changes within the affected limb may also lead to symptoms. Muscles surrounding the affected blood vessels can became deprived of oxygen leading to muscle damage and pain, as well as joint pain.

Patients who present with early onset symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome may alleviate their symptoms of poor circulation, inflexibility, muscle stiffness, and loss of muscle tone by doing physical therapy. Many patients who complete physical therapy early in the course of the condition may be able to prevent or even reverse some secondary changes in the brain that have been found to be linked to chronic pain.