Papers of the Week

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain syndrome typically affecting a limb. It is characterized by severe spontaneous and evoked pain, along with vasomotor, autonomic, and motor signs and symptoms. Although dysregulation in several physiologic systems has been suggested in CRPS, including aberrant inflammatory and immune responses, vasomotor dysfunction, and nervous system changes, the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the syndrome remain elusive. Effective treatment options are also limited. Previous research has highlighted the role of the gut microbiome in chronic pain, prompting us to investigate the composition and function of the gut microbiome in CRPS.