Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: classification and pathophysiology

An article published in Pain and Therapy- an international, open access, peer-reviewed journal provides the main key features of CRPS- a complex regional pain syndrome. It is divided in two types depending on nerve involvement and characterized as a chronic pain condition with hyperalgesia and allodynia of the extremities. According to the authors, main risk factors are female gender, psychological factors and certain comorbidities as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. In a recent scientific report, the most common primary cause is a fractures (42%). Despite continuing research, precise pathogenesis of CRPS is still unknown, but main reason is an abnormal tissue response to injury. Genetic and most importantly psychological contributions are also proved to be a part of this pathology. Authors describe 2 stages of the course of CRPS- acute (warm) and the chronic (cold). The latest diagnostic criteria was described in Budapest, Hungary in 2003 and currently remain the accepted protocol for the diagnosis of CRPS. Check the details in the original article.