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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Sports Medicine

Julio A. Martinez-Silvestrini, MD, FAAPMR, CAQSM and Daniel Kuo, DO, MA Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Severe, continuing pain, disproportionate to any inciting event

  • Manifested by four clinical characteristics: based on Budapest criteria:

    • Intense pain

    • Vasomotor disturbances

    • Sudomotor (sw...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Clinical diagnosis

  • Positive response to sympathetic block confirms the presence of sympathetically mediated pain.

  • Laboratory and imaging studies are only indicated if diagnosis is uncertain.

HISTORY

TREATMENT

  • Usually more effective early in disease 4[B]

  • Follow a stepwise approach, starting with least risky/invasive and progressing to more invasive as needed 1[C].

  • An interdisciplinary program seems ...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

A strong partnership with the patient and all participating caregivers is essential, including pain management specialists, physiatrists, psychiatrists and other ...

REFERENCES

1
Hsu ES. Practical management of complex regional pain syndrome. Am J Ther.  2009;16(2):147–154.
2
Goh EL, Chidambaram S, Ma D. Complex regional pain syndrome: a recent update. Burns Tra...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Complex regional pain syndrome. In: Armstrong AD, Hubbard MC, eds. Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care. 5th ed. Rosemont, IL: American Aca...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Clinical diagnosis of an exaggerated response to injury of a limb with intense prolonged pain, vasomotor disturbances, delayed functional recovery, and trophic changes

  • Pathology is uncl...

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