What are the treatments for Complex regional pain syndrome ?
How might complex regional pain syndrome be treated? There is no known cure for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Treatment includes a multidisciplinary approach with the aim of controlling pain symptoms. It has been suggested that when treatment is started within a few months of when symptoms begin, improvement or remission may be possible. A combination of therapies is usually necessary including medications, physical and occupational therapy, interventional procedures, and psychosocial/behavioral management. Medications used to treat CRPS may include:oral and topical pain relievers; antidepressants or anticonvulsants (which are sometimes used to treat pain); corticosteroids; bone-loss medications; sympathetic nerve-blocking medications; intravenous anesthetics (Ketamine), and/or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Other therapies used may include applying heat or cold; electrical nerve stimulation; and biofeedback. Interventional procedures may include: trigger/tender point injections; regional sympathetic nerve block; spinal cord stimulation; epiduralclonidine; and chemical or mechanical sympathectomy. Unfortunately, published research studies validating the efficacy of these treatment options are limited and no single drug or therapy (or combination) has shown consistent, long-lasting improvement among affected people. For more information on treatment options for CRPS, click on the following link from the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association of America (RSDSA) http://rsds.org/treatment or the following link on chronic pain through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/detail_chronic_pain.htm