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Interventional Modalities to Treat Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

  • Chronic Pain Medicine (O Viswanath, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain condition that often requires a multidisciplinary approach including medication, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological therapy, and interventional procedures to restore the patient’s quality of life. This article reviews the interventional treatments for pain resulting from CRPS.

Recent Findings

Sympathetic nerve blocks (stellate ganglion and lumbar sympathetic) are the first-line interventional treatment options for patients with CRPS of the upper and lower extremities, respectively. Fluoroscopic techniques for lumbar sympathetic blocks have not significantly changed throughout the years. However, both novel fluoroscopic and ultrasound approaches to stellate ganglion blockade have arisen. In addition, novel neuromodulation therapies to treat CRPS have been developed to include new waveforms with dorsal column stimulation and entirely new nerve targets such as dorsal root ganglion stimulation.

Summary

This paper will review the latest interventional treatment options available for the treatment of CRPS.

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Correspondence to Christopher Wie.

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Christopher Wie, Natalie Strand, Scott Pew, Jillian Maloney, Ruchir Gupta and John Freeman declare no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Wie, C., Gupta, R., Maloney, J. et al. Interventional Modalities to Treat Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Curr Pain Headache Rep 25, 10 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-00904-5

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