Causalgia: a military pain syndrome

Abstract

Causalgia, officially known as complex regional pain syndrome type II, is a pain syndrome characterized by severe burning pain, motor and sensory dysfunction, and changes in skin color and temperature sensation distal to an injured peripheral nerve. The pain syndrome primarily tends to affect combat soldiers after they sustain wartime injuries from blasts and gunshots. Here, the authors provide a historical narrative that showcases the critical contributions of military physicians to our understanding of causalgia and to the field of peripheral nerve neurosurgery as a whole.