A database as a working tool for implantation of a neurostimulator in complex regional pain syndromes (preliminary report)

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition whose causes are unknown, although it is thought to be the result of a dysfunction in the central or peripheral nervous system. It manifests as a distinct clinical entity accompanied by trophic tissue changes and a local disorder of the autonomic nervous system in an extremity or part of an extremity. Numerous methods have been used to relieve pain but with unsatisfactory results. Patients with CRPS who do not respond to conventional therapy are candidates for implantation of a spinal cord neurostimulator. Treatment in these patients involves long-term work and follow-up. A database can improve a neurostimulation protocol in CRPS patients because it is helpful for long-term follow-up and provides an objective record of clinical efficacy that is useful for the future.