Functional impairment of the extremities in patients who got over Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a descriptive term for a complex of symptoms and signs, including pain, swelling and vasomotor disturbances. The disease causes also functional impairment of the affected extremity and limitation in daily activities. Even after effective treatment, the condition frequently leaves residual symptoms and impairment of the limb. The objective of this study was assessment of the level of functional impairment in patients who got over CRPS. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients, 45 women (86%) and 7 men (14%) in a mean age of 57 years who were got over CRPS were asked to fill 2 questionnaires for assessment of function of their upper limbs in daily living. The questionnaires included the Raadboud Skills Questionnaire (the RASQ) and the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (the DASH). Results of this study show statistically significant differences in functional impairment of the limbs between the groups with different recovery status and duration of CRPS: the patients with longer lasting disease and those, who did not feel recovered showed greater functional impairment of their limbs than remaining patients. Conclusion: These results suggest that, in spite of a satisfactory outcome of treatment, significant long- term sequelae of the disease impair function of the affected limbs and reduce quality of life in a proportion of patients.