Review of complex regional pain syndrome and the role of the neuroimmune axis.

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a progressive and painful disease of the extremities that is characterized by continuous pain inconsistent with the initial trauma. CRPS is caused by a multi-mechanism process that involves both the peripheral and central nervous system, with a prominent role of inflammation in CRPS pathophysiology. This review examines what is currently known about the CRPS inflammatory and pain mechanisms, as well as the possible impact of neurostimulation therapies on the neuroimmune axis of CRPS.