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I've heard there's been a breakthrough in scientists' understanding of complex regional pain syndrome. I have this problem, too. Will the new findings bring about a cure?

It's a little too early to jump to any conclusions. Editors from the Pain journal where the new studies were reported advise caution when reading the new studies. The two articles based on original research point to the same conclusion: there is a neuropathic cause of CRPS. This means nerve damage in the arm or leg causes all the symptoms.

They say that the studies were done on patients with type I complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The patients had all gone through many medical and treatment procedures. It's impossible to tell if the findings of the new study apply to the actual CRPS condition or just what happens after treatment. There could be a big difference between the two.

It's also true that changes in blood supply during the disease could cause the kind of nerve damage seen in these two studies. These changes aren't what started the CRPS -- they occur after the initial trauma.

We're not close to a cure yet but we're getting closer. Once scientists can pinpoint the cause then the effects can be prevented or at least minimized. This is good news for anyone suffering the chronic and debilitating pain associated with CRPS.

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