Neuroimmune Alterations in the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

textabstractComplex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a disease which occurs as a complication after surgery or trauma, although spontaneous development is described. CRPS is characterized by continuing pain, sensory and vasomotor, sudomotor, motor and trophic disturbances. Many of these symptoms are normal during a period of recovery after surgery or trauma and are part of a sterile infl ammatory process and disuse. This is the process which normally leads to restoration. Characteristic for CRPS is that this reaction does not seem to stop, the normal sterile infl ammatory process seems to continue. This clinical picture is often combined with disturbances of the central nervous system including allodynia, sympathetic dysregulation and dystonia. A difference is made between CRPS type 1 (CRPS 1), without nerve damage and CRPS type 2 (CRPS 2), with nerve damage