Complex regional pain syndrome (type 1): a comparison of 2 diagnostic criteria methods.

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a common problem presenting to orthopedic surgeons or pain therapists, most frequently encountered after trauma or surgery to a limb. Because of a lack of a simple objective diagnostic test, diagnosis is reliant on clinical assessment. Prospective studies have repeatedly demonstrated a higher incidence than retrospective studies, an observation that has been challenged owing to the lack of uniformity of diagnostic criteria across specialties and workers researching the condition.