Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Sudeck's Dystrophy: EMDR Reprocessing Therapy Applied to the Psychotherapeutic Strategy

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) Type 1, formerly termed Sudeck's dystrophy, is a disproportionate pain condition after a minor injury in a limb, with sensory, autonomic, motor dysfunction, and muscular atrophy without a demonstrated peripheral nerve injury. In children, its course can be self-limiting or evolve chronically and be accompanied with psychological distress and deterioration in life quality. CRPS may occur in association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may benefit from multidisciplinary treatment. The eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) approach, with demonstrated efficacy in PTSD, has also been reported to be helpful with chronic pain. The application of EMDR in a case of uncontrolled pain during an adolescent's hospitalization for CRPS is presented and its potential benefits are discussed.