Management of chronic pain following nerve injuries/CRPS type II

Abstract

Chronic pain affects quality of life and adversely affects functional outcomes. Chronic postoperative pain is a frustrating problem for the surgeon because it ruins a technically perfect procedure, and the surgeon may be unsure of treatment strategies. There is much information on chronic pain and its treatment, but it is often published outside of surgery and diffusion of this information across disciplines is slow. This article synthesizes some of this literature and provides a systematic presentation of the evidence on pain associated with peripheral nerve injury. It highlights the use of perioperative and early intervention to decrease this debilitating problem.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Complex regional pain syndrome; Nerve injuries; Neuropathic pain.