Importance of the rehabilitative treatment in the hand algodystrophy

Algodystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a multi symptomatic and multi systemic syndrome that can involve one or more limbs articulations. Its cause could derive not only from an organic component, but also from a psychosomatic one. The American Pain Society defined algodystrophy as a Sympathetic Reflex Dystrophy of Type I, where pain spreads over the relevancy region of a peripheral nerve; differently from the CRPS of Type II, where nervous damage is always certain. The clinical case, dominated by the strong algic (localised and spread out) symptomatology, is characterised by a series of signs and local symptoms, such as oedema, vasomotor anomalies, cutaneous trophic alterations, joints limitations that can reach the stiffness, with a progressive motor obstacle of the limb involved. The authors describe the current treatments for people affected by hand post-traumatic algodystrophy. They underline the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and the need to start up a rehabilitative program, in order to recuperate the damaged function.