The chronic pain that won’t go away

CRPS is a rare neurological condition that causes unending agony and misery. But now a special implant offers hope to sufferers

What’s it like to have a pain that just won’t go away? Complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, causes exactly that, and it’s as hard to diagnose as it is to understand. It can strike at any age, affects both men and women – and may be more common than previously thought.

But with no specific tests to diagnose CRPS, doctors just have to look out for patients with an intense burning pain that goes beyond what would be expected from their injury – anything from a fracture to a stroke. What’s causing the pain isn’t this “triggering” injury any more – it’s the complex communication system between nerves and the brain, which means that even after an injury has healed, the pain persists.

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from Health & wellbeing | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1Jp0yay
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