More on Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Following Air-Bag Inflation

Abstract

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is an outdated term that tends to be used to describe pain that persists when the patient does not respond to therapy. The term implies that the sympathetic nervous system is somehow involved in the pain state; this is not always true. The only way to determine the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in a pain state is to inhibit the sympathetic nerves supplying the area and to see whether the pain is relieved. What Shah and Weinstein describe as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome following air-bag inflation (Aug. 21 issue)¹ has recently been termed the complex regional pain syndrome.^2-4