Researchers in Australia have identified a direct connection between Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and headaches.

According to a news release from the university on Monday, the study found that two out of three adults with CRPS experience new or worsening migraines.

The new study from Australia’s Murdoch University found that the debilitating conditions often occur on the same side of the body with overlapping symptoms.

CRPS and migraine symptoms like limb pain, sensitivity to light and touch, and forehead tenderness often appear on the same side, it said.

According to the study, CRPS is a rare, serious condition occasionally triggered by limb injuries such as fractures or sprains, with persistent pain that may last for months or years and can spread beyond the site of injury.

The study, published in the journal Cephalalgia, surveyed 88 adult CRPS patients and found that 66 per cent reported migraines that had started or gotten worse after the onset of CRPS, with 22 per cent suffering near-daily headaches.

The research was an important step towards more effective treatment of these debilitating conditions, said Peter Drummond from Murdoch University’s School of Psychology.

“We found that migraine headaches often began or got worse after the injury that triggered CRPS. There seemed to be a direct connection between the limb injury and the headaches, as they were often on the same side of the body and symptoms overlapped. That is, one condition may feed the other,” he said.

The findings back the theory that the injury that sparks CRPS may increase sensitivity to pain long-term, which then fuels both migraine and CRPS symptoms. Over time, the two conditions may worsen each other.

The study recommended screening for migraine in CRPS clinics and for CRPS signs in headache clinics as practical considerations for clinicians, and advocated integrated pain management approaches.

(Xinhua/NAN)