My niece was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome after she sprained her ankle a few years ago. She is in a tremendous amount of pain. Why can't doctors help her?

Complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, is a syndrome that has been recognized since the Civil War. Unfortunately, despite doctors knowing about it for that lone, how to treat it is still a mystery. One of the problems is that doctors and researchers don't understand why CRPS happens and how it works. Until the cause of a disease is discovered, it's very difficult to find a cure.

If your niece is not getting the pain relief she needs, you may consider trying to contact a pain clinic or ask for a referral to a pain specialist or an anesthesiologist. Anesthesiologists are the doctors who help keep you asleep for surgery, but they are also experts in pain management.