research
Complex regional pain syndrome 1 : a study on pain and motor impairments
- Publication date
- 24 October 2001
- Publisher
- This thesis, is compiled of publications on reflex sympathetic
dystrophy (RSD) or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1
(CRPS 1), as it was renamed by the committee on taxonomy of the
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). It is a
puzzling syndrome both from a clinical point of view as well as in
the perspective of basic pain science. Therapies rendered may vary
and include physical therapy, occupational therapy, physical
immobilization, surgical or chemical sympathectomies,
pharmacotherapy and psychological treatment. A well accepted
treatment algorithm is lacking and treatment regimens hardly seem
driven by the progress made in basic pain science. The leading
thread of this thesis is the concept of CRPS 1 as a neuropathic pain
syndrome of unknown etiology involving multiple and timedependent
mechanisms. It is discussed that besides the affected
extremity also spinal and suprapinal structures may become
involved. The scope of the publications varies from clinical studies
on pain management performed in the context of an
interdisciplinary rehabilitation team, to experimental studies on
motor impairments and immunology. The clinical and experimental
work was at least partly performed before the introduction of the
t= complex regional pain syndrome 1. It is for this reason that
the reader may encounter the t= reflex sympathetic dystrophy in
some chapters.