Intramuscular botulinum toxin A (BtxA) in complex regional pain syndrome

Pain associated with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is frequently excruciating and intractable. The use of botulinum toxin for relief of CRPS-associated pain has not been well described.

To assess whether intramuscular botulinum toxin injections cause relief of pain caused by CRPS, and to assess the risks of this treatment.

Retrospective chart review.

Outpatient clinic.

37 patients with spasm/dystonia in the neck and/or upper limb girdle muscles.

Electromyography-guided injection of botulinum toxin A (BtxA), 10-20 U per muscle. Total dose used was 100 U in each patient.

Local pain score on an 11 point Likert scale, 4 weeks after BtxA injections.

Mean pain score decreased by 43% (8.2 ± 0.8 to 4.5 ± 1.1, P < 0.001). Ninety-seven percent of the patients had significant pain relief. One patient had transient neck drop after the injections.

This is a retrospective study; it lacks a control group and therefore the placebo effect cannot be eliminated. This study does not provide information on the efficacy of this treatment after 4 weeks.

Intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin A in the upper limb girdle muscles was beneficial for short term relief of pain caused by CRPS in this retrospective case series. The incidence of complications was low (2.7%).