Options For Treating Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Sympathetic Nerve-Blocking Medication

Some patients might benefit from the use of sympathetic nerve-blocking medication. An individual's sympathetic nerves are located along the spinal column's front side, and they control bodily functions like heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and sweating. In complex regional pain syndrome patients, the sympathetic nerves continue to transmit pain signals to the brain after an injury, even when the injury has already healed. A doctor can use a sympathetic nerve block to ascertain the source of a patient's symptoms. The test involves a numbing medication being injected near the spine. This numbs the sympathetic nerves and blocks them from transmitting signals. If those are the nerves responsible for the pain, the injection might help patients experience relief. If one injection is effective, a doctor might recommend doing a series of injections in intervals of one to two weeks to provide longer-lasting pain relief.