Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2000
Course of symptoms and quality of life measurement in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: a pilot survey.
Few data have been published regarding the natural history, course of symptoms, and quality of life in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). To obtain preliminary data regarding these important issues in CRPS, a set of patient self-report questionnaires were mailed to patients with the diagnosis of CRPS who had been assessed and/or treated at a tertiary university-based pain center in the United States. Self-reports of demographic information, symptoms, the Neuropathic Pain Scale, and a modified Brief Pain Inventory (mBPI) were received from 31 CRPS patients. ⋯ CRPS had a severe impact on quality of life, with substantial interference reported in 9 of 10 mBPI activity items by a majority of these patients. These findings should be viewed with caution and should not be generalized to the entire CRPS population because the cohort was small and select. A large multicenter prospective study needs to be performed to validate these preliminary findings.