Complex regional pain syndrome research trends

BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by disproportionate regional pain and distinct clinical features such as allodynia and hyperalgesia. We conducted a bibliometric analysis to map the global research landscape of CRPS over the past 3 decades, with an additional regional analysis of research output from South Korea. By examining publication trends, we aimed to identify active research areas and highlight underrepresented topics. METHODS: Articles related to CRPS and published between 1993 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Data on publication year, journal, country, institution, and citation counts were extracted for analysis. Treatment-related articles were additionally classified into non-interventional and interventional management for subgroup analyses. RESULTS: A total of 2016 CRPS-related articles were identified, with publication output steadily increasing and accelerating over the past decade. The United States contributed the most, with 497 articles (24.7%), followed by the Netherlands, and South Korea ranked fifth with 134 articles (6.6%). Among treatment-focused studies, 302 addressed non-interventional therapies, dominated by pharmacological treatments, and 397 addressed interventional management, in which spinal cord stimulation and other forms of neuromodulation were the most studied. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a growing global recognition of CRPS as a significant research area, with increasing attention toward interventional therapies. However, despite the increasing research output, existing guidelines and systematic reviews indicate that high-quality evidence remains limited for both guideline-recommended first-line functional and interdisciplinary approaches and more extensively studied interventional therapies. Rigorous, collaborative research on CRPS treatment is therefore needed to establish effective, evidence-based strategies and improve outcomes for patients with CRPS.