[wannaBpainFREE]

Found a peer reviewed journal article some may find of interest. "Complex regional pain syndromes: new pathophysiological concepts and therapies", published by European Journal of Neurology this year. It's a review article which summarizes the current state of medical knowledge (I heard those snickers ). To me, the info of biggest interest is the summary of drug and non-drug treatment strategies (begins pg 6 heading: Therapeutic concepts).

The paper provides correct terminology and references so we can more easily find detail information on specific topics of interest. PLUS we can give hardcopies of journal articles to our doctors to educate them in their own language.

Unfortunately, the PDF exceeds the upload limit and I'm not allowed to post URLs yet. *edit*

Regards,
Rochelle

PS. Here is the article abstract:
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as Sudeck`s dystrophy and causalgia, is a disabling and distressing pain syndrome. We here provide a review based on the current literature concerning the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy of CRPS. CRPS may develop following fractures, limb trauma or lesions of the peripheral or CNS. The clinical picture comprises a characteristic
clinical triad of symptoms including autonomic (disturbances of skin temperature, color, presence of sweating abnormalities), sensory (pain and hyperalgesia), and motor (paresis, tremor, dystonia) disturbances. Diagnosis is mainly based on clinical signs. Several pathophysiological concepts have been proposed to explain the complex symptoms of CRPS: (i) facilitated neurogenic inflammation; (ii) pathological sympatho-afferent coupling; and (iii) neuroplastic changes within the CNS. Furthermore, there is accumulating evidence that genetic factors may predispose for CRPS. Therapy is based on a multidisciplinary approach. Non-pharmacological approaches include physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Pharmacotherapy is based on individual symptoms and includes steroids, free radical scavengers, treatment of neuropathic pain, and finally agents interfering with bone metabolism (calcitonin, biphosphonates). Invasive therapeutic concepts include implantation of spinal cord stimulators. This review covers new aspects of pathophysiology and therapy of CRPS.