Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) may unexpectedly be triggered by injuries, trauma or medical procedures, leaving those affected with unremitting pain and inflammation that may last throughout a lifetime and negatively affect quality of life. Designed to better equip healthcare professionals, students and those affected by CRPS with a current understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this complex disorder, this comprehensive guide explores tools for conventional and interventional management and covers the latest updates.
CRPS commonly targets extremities and more typically affects females. It’s difficult to treat, as affected individuals vary in complexities of involvement. Yet significant progress is being made in understanding its pathophysiology and pathways to individualized treatment, as experts report in this series title.
Contributors present 13 clinical cases with specific CRPS issues. Each case begins with a patient history, then concentrates on CRPS management topics ranging from differential diagnosis to multimodal treatment approaches including PT/OT, behavioral medication, sympathetic blocks, DRG and nerve stimulation, neuromodulation pharmacology and ketamine infusion therapy. Pediatric care is also discussed, along with late-stage involvement. The last chapter “Hope on the Horizon” concludes with adjutant and emerging therapies.
The narrative takes an academic approach, and the medical terminology and concepts discussed will best be understood by clinicians. For example, one diagnosis notes: “Given the common sudomotor and vasomotor changes of CRPS, autonomic tests such as the resting sweat output (RSO), resting skin temperature (RST), and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test (QSART) have been used to evaluate patients suspected of having CRPS.” The prose is more accessible in places, but readers should expect the density noted in this example.
Still, breakout sections with “key points” are clear and readable for those with a basic understanding of medicine. The book also offers useful and extensive citations for references and suggested reading.
Overall, this compendium is an important overview on how to better understand CRPS and the strategies needed to navigate its multifaceted challenges and more effectively manage care.
Also available as an ebook.