Plasma Exchange & severe, longstanding CRPS

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Pioneering research at the University of Liverpool, has led to a potential breakthrough in the treatment of severe, longstanding and seemingly therapy-resistant Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) which could help people like me with autoimmune conditions.
Investigating whether an autoimmune mechanism was responsible for causing CRPS, researchers found a high incidence of auto-antibodies in people suffering CRPS. 
These auto-antibodies alter sensory nerve function in the peripheral nervous system, strongly suggesting that auto-antibodies are contributing to CRPS.
Noting these results, researchers treated CRPS patients with Plasma Exchange Therapy. 
During Plasma Exchange, blood is extracted through a vein in the patient’s arm. The blood is separated by a machine into its constituent parts and the abnormal blood plasma removed, a process known as apheresis. The plasma is then replaced by a substitute before the blood is returned to the patient’s body through a vein in the other arm. In this way, auto-antibody serum levels can be significantly reduced.
Whilst not a cure, many, although not all, patients achieved a significant reduction in pain. The average reduction was 64% and a number have continued to receive maintenance therapy maintaining their levels of pain relief. The levels of pain in the patients not receiving maintenance therapy has returned to pre treatment levels.
So far the number of participants in the trials has been limited and the trials themselves have not been blind or randomised. 
However, lead researcher and world renowned expert in CRPS, Dr Andreas Goebel are extremely hopeful for the future.
As a result of this groundbreaking work at the University of Liverpool, the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) has included CRPS on the list of conditions that may benefit from Plasma Exchange.

Another case of watch this space!

Further information on this can be found at : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26218942

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