The complex regional pain syndrome is poorly elucidated. In line with this its diagnosis
and clinical management have remained suboptimal. The multifaceted nature makes it a
fascinating study topic for scientists with varying interests, but unraveling the etiology
has been proven a laborious mission.
The first notification of what could have been (what is currently named) complex regional
pain syndrome (CRPS) stems from 1634, when the surgeon Ambroise Pare described
that King Charles IX suffered from persistent pain and contractures of his arm following
a bloodletting procedure.1 The next remarks came from the military physician Scott
Mitchell and date from the American Civil War: “…Long after the trace of the effect
of a wound has gone neuralgic symptoms are apt to linger, and too many carry with
them throughout long years this final reminder of the battle field...”.2 The first scientific
publication on CRPS was issued in 1900 from a German surgeon named Paul Sudeck.3
His name became tied to the syndrome for long (Sudecks’ dystrophy)
