Open AccessAmerican Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP) Position Paper: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome I (RSD): Impairment and Disability Issues
Author(s) -
Aronoff Gerald M.,
Harden Norman,
StantonHicks Michael,
Dorto Anthony J.,
Ensalada Leon H.,
Klimek Edwin H.,
Mandel Steven,
Williams John M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1046/j.1526-4637.2002.02044.x
Subject(s) - complex regional pain syndrome , medicine , pain medicine , activities of daily living , expert opinion , physical therapy , medical diagnosis , rating scale , multidisciplinary approach , functional impairment , physical medicine and rehabilitation , anesthesiology , psychology , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , pathology , developmental psychology , social science , sociology
. Objective. To provide an overview and methodology for the evaluation of impairment and functional residual capacity in complex regional pain syndrome I (CRPS I, RSD). This paper is intended to provide assistance to physicians asked to evaluate impairment‐ and disability‐related issues and is not primarily geared to guide treatment of the CRPS I patient. Method. Conference and literature review by neurology, anesthesiology, pain medicine, physiatry, and disability evaluating physicians followed by description of issues, options, and recommendations based upon the committee's deliberations and the widely used AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment , fourth and fifth editions. The authors present functional criteria for assessing the severity of CRPS. These criteria were developed by committee consensus opinion based on multidisciplinary clinical experience considering daily functional issues. They can be used in conjunction with CRPS‐ADL Classes of Impairment in order to categorize an individual into a specific class for purposes of permanent impairment rating. Future reliability and validity studies of this rating scale are pending future use, acceptance and, hopefully, additional studies. Results. Evaluators should perform a comprehensive assessment of patients with CRPS I to make an accurate diagnosis and exclude other conditions that could explain the symptoms and signs of the condition. While radiological, laboratory, and other diagnostic studies may be of assistance in making the diagnosis, in the final analysis, this is a clinical diagnosis. Impairment is based on objectively validated limitation in activities of daily living (ADL).