Neuromodulation for Treating Adolescent Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Case Series

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in adolescents is rare. When resistant to conservative treatment, therapeutic options are limited. One option is neuromodulation, but the evidence for its effectiveness is scarce.

We report 3 adolescent girls with refractory CRPS Type I who were successfully treated with neuromodulation. Two of them underwent dorsal root ganglion stimulation; the other, spinal cord stimulation. All 3 patients achieved > 50% pain reduction, restoration of function, and improved quality of life after failing multimodal conservative and minimally invasive injection management. Device-related complications, including lead migration and implantable pulse generator site pain, occurred in one patient but did not compromise her outcome.

Neuromodulation with dorsal root ganglion stimulation or spinal cord stimulation appears to be a safe and effective option for adolescents with refractory CRPS pain, improving pain and function when conservative therapies had failed.