Question
In assessing a rating for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) of the lower extremity, must an individual meet the criteria established on Table 16-16 utilized when rating the upper extremity for CRPS?
Answer
Section 17.2m, Causalgia and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (5th ed, 533), references Chapter 13, The Central and Peripheral Nervous System; however, the section does not make reference to Chapter 16, Upper Extremities. Section 13.8 states, “The new term complex regional pain syndrome, type I and type II, is not used here since it does not represent a single diagnostic criteria” (5th ed, 343).
Many controversies are associated with the diagnosis of CRPS, including diagnostic criteria. The definition provided in 1994 by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has been criticized for being too liberal and resulting in false positive diagnoses. Subsequently,...
