Pain in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

CRPS is a complex pain condition that usually develops in response to trauma and immobilization which is very painful and debilitating. There is no consensus about the underlying mechanisms which might be a combination of mentally and physically factors. At the moment, better diagnostic clarification and better pain relieving treatment is needed. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in the perception of pain in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), and whether this perception can be affected by treatment with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the painful area. The study will consist of two parts. One in which patients' perception of pain will be compared to the perception of pain in healthy controls. Another in which the included patients are randomly allocated into a group receiving medical treatment plus treatment with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on the painful area or in a group receiving medical treatment as usual (MED).Patients will be evaluated four times. At the start of the study, immediately after treatment, and again at 6 and 12 months after treatment. The evaluation consists of an overall assessment of pain, response to standardized sensory stimuli, and questionnaires about quality of life, physical capacity and mentally/socially well-being.