Complex regional pain syndrome and pregnancy

Abstract

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition predominantly affecting females of the reproductive age group. Association of CRPS and pregnancy has been increasingly reported in recent literature. Anesthesiologist and chronic pain physician may be involved in the management of CRPS during pregnancy and for peripartum anesthesia management for vaginal delivery or cesarean section. Any woman suffering from CRPS should be counseled about the limited therapeutic options available during pregnancy. Medical management of CRPS is complicated by risk to breast-fed babies and teratogenicity to fetus. However, interventional management in the form of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation may be used with due precautions. Multidisciplinary involvement of obstetrician, anesthesiologist, pain physician, and neonatologist is important to ensure successful outcome.

Keywords

• Anesthesia
• complex regional pain syndrome
• pain
• pregnancy