Scholarly record

THERAPEUTIC ELEMENTS IN ALGIC POSTTRAUMATIC SYNDROME

Sibel Demirgian, Elena Valentina Ionescu, Olga Surdu, Mariana Arcus, Ramona M. Stoicescu, Gabriela Lilios

Abstract

It is well known that the pathogenic mechanism of algic posttraumatic syndrome is still incompletely understood. Although multiple attempts have been made to reduce chronic regional pain syndrome to a single pathophysiologic mechanism (e.g., sympatho-afferent coupling), it has become increasingly accepted that there are multiple mechanisms involved. Only in the past few years, has it been recognized that chronic regional pain syndrome is not simply a sympathetically mediated peripheral pain condition but rather is a disease of the central nervous system as well.The Techirghiol therapeutic mud is black deposit, rich in colloidal iron hydro sulfur, from the bottom of the salty lake, formed under the action of microorganisms from the inorganic substance of the soil, the flora and fauna of the aquatic basin as the consequence of some biological and chemical transformations. The aim of the study was to assess the clinical features(pain, edema, range of motion, temperature) in patients with chronic regional pain syndrome - CRPS (algic posttraumatic syndrome) under treatment with sapropelic mud. The study was performed on 41 patients with diagnosis of unilateral CRPS(chronic regional pain syndrome), who were hospitalized in Balneary and Rehabilitation Sanatorium from Techirghiol. All patients were evaluated in the first day and after 10 or 15 days of balneal treatment (mud, mineral wate, kinetotherapy). We found that physical therapy, alone, does not influence clinical features (pain, swelling, range of motion, temperature). In conclusion, support the hypothesis that peloidotherapy is a valuable therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic regional pain syndrome by intercepting its pathophysiological mechanisms. Proven mechanisms of action of mud as anti-inflammatory role, modulating the general reactivity and correction of the vegetative trauma, increasing the oxygen release in tissues with improved local perfusion could explain the efficiency of this therapy.

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