Date of Award

Spring 2022

Degree Name

Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)

Department

Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences

First Advisor

Diana Hawthorne

Abstract

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is prolonged and disproportionate neuropathic pain and inflammation which presents after surgery, fracture, or trauma to a limb. This phenomenon has been recognized in the literature since the civil war but the pathophysiology has only become clear over the last 20 years. There are no diagnostic tests for CRPS and it is a relatively rare condition with only about 20 cases in 100,000 people per year. CRPS is then under-recognized by some providers but over-diagnosed by others. Occasionally, providers use CRPS as a catch-all for unexplained pain rather than a recognized condition with specific diagnostic criteria. Additionally, CRPS is an extremely painful condition which does not respond to opioid treatment. With the current opioid epidemic, it is important for providers to be able to recognize this syndrome so that patients can be properly managed without habit forming substances.

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CRPS - Amanda Shulski.mp4 (17519 kB)
audio3513618902.m4a (8379 kB)

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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Not a Catch-all

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is prolonged and disproportionate neuropathic pain and inflammation which presents after surgery, fracture, or trauma to a limb. This phenomenon has been recognized in the literature since the civil war but the pathophysiology has only become clear over the last 20 years. There are no diagnostic tests for CRPS and it is a relatively rare condition with only about 20 cases in 100,000 people per year. CRPS is then under-recognized by some providers but over-diagnosed by others. Occasionally, providers use CRPS as a catch-all for unexplained pain rather than a recognized condition with specific diagnostic criteria. Additionally, CRPS is an extremely painful condition which does not respond to opioid treatment. With the current opioid epidemic, it is important for providers to be able to recognize this syndrome so that patients can be properly managed without habit forming substances.