Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological Treatment for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): A Review

Abstract

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), previously known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) or causalgia, is a chronic debilitating neurological disorder characterized by limb pain, that can be developed after a minor trauma, fractures or lesions of the peripheral or central nervous system. The prevalence of CRPS is relatively low; and the symptoms of this dynamic disease are distinct among different patients. No specific diagnostic test is available and hence diagnosis is mainly relied on clinical examination and supportive laboratory findings. Also, since the symptoms are individual-specific, there exist no single drug which is effective globally among the patient community. An early recognition, prompt initiation and a multidisciplinary approach including pharmacological, rehabilitation and psychological therapies seems to be effective in treating CRPS, to obtain an optimum outcome. This review encompasses recent advances in the treatment strategies – medical and non-medical – employed in the management of CRPS.