[Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) - difficulties in diagnostics, therapy and assessment]

CRPS is still widely unknown among physicians. However, surgeons and GPs should know the diagnostic criteria and the modern therapeutic approaches in order to start early therapy according to recent medical guidelines. Pain specialists and/ or neurologists should be involved because of their clinical and neuroanatomic knowledge. First-line therapy comprises neither extensive instrumental diagnostic procedures nor invasive treatments, which - in some cases - could even worsen the disease. The key point is a variety of specific physiotherapeutic techniques. The prognosis is not as poor as many physicians believe.