Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Epidemiologic Features, Treatment Approaches, Workday Loss and Return to Work/Disability Ratios/ Kompleks Bolgesel Agri Sendromu: Epidemiyolojik Ozellikleri, Tedavi Yaklasimlari, Is Gunu Kaybi Ve Ise Donus/Sakatlik Oranlari (Original Article/Orijinal Arastirma) (Report‪)‬

Introduction Complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS) are painful disorders that develop as a disproportionate consequence of traumas. These disorders are most common in the limbs and are characterized by pain (spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia, allodynia), active and passive movement disorders (including an increased physiological tremor), abnormal regulation of blood flow and sweating, edema of skin and subcutaneous tissues, and trophic changes in skin, organs of the skin, and subcutaneous tissues (1). Despite general interest in CRPS, a clear understanding concerning this disorder is still lacking, resulting in several pathophysiological concepts and treatment methods (2-4). The uncertainty surrounding this disorder is well reflected by the disparate nomenclature, such as causalgia, Sudeck's atrophy, post-traumatic dystrophy, sympathetically-maintained pain, algodystrophy, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) etc. (3). Making a reliable diagnosis may be complicated by a lack of uniform definition of CRPS. This has led the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) to advocate the use of the term complex regional pain syndrome (5). Treatments range from physical therapies and noninvasive medications to sympathetic ganglion blockade and sympathectomy (6). There is no treatment that guarantees improvement. An early and interdisciplinary approach is the basis for an optimal and successful treatment (7).