Interventional pain management of CRPS in the pediatric population: A literature review

This review explores the use of interventional pain management techniques for children with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). These techniques, like nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulation, aim to reduce pain and improve function when other treatments haven't worked. The review found that while these interventions can be helpful, the evidence is limited, mostly based on case reports. More research is needed to establish clear guidelines for diagnosing and treating pediatric CRPS with these methods. Interventional procedures were typically implemented after failed conservative management (92.89%), which included multiple medications (e.g., pregabalin, amitriptyline, NSAIDs) combined with physical and psychological therapy.

• 1
  Interventional pain management methods like continuous epidural anesthesia, lumbar sympathetic blocks, and spinal cord stimulation have been used safely and successfully in treating pediatric CRPS as part of a multimodal strategy.
• 2
  Most studies evaluated the success of the intervention based on pain scale improvement, physical capability, or engagement in activities.
• 3
  A notable finding of 15.30% of pediatric CRPS cases presented with a spontaneous onset, a proportion that is markedly higher than typically observed in adult populations.