The Management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome-associated Foot Pain using a Poron Insole, a Sponge Upper Padding, and a Post-operative Shoe: A Case Report

Pain from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is frequently refractory to various treatment methods. Here, we present a case wherein foot pain from CRPS I was managed by applying an insole made from poron (a soft polyurethane foam and highly absorbent material for shock reduction), a sponge upper padding, and a post-operative shoe.

A 47-year-old female patient with CRPS I on her left foot complained of pain for a few months, which was aggravated while standing and walking [numeric rating scale (NRS): 8]. She had a history of a linear fracture in the distal portion of the left 1st metatarsal bone 5 months ago, and the pain from CRPS started 2 months after the fracture. We believed that the aggravated pain during standing and walking was allodynia. We utilized a poron insole, a sponge upper padding, and a post-operative shoe to reduce the pressure and friction loading on her left foot. 1 month after this intervention, the patients’ pain during standing and walking was found to have reduced from NRS 8 to NRS 3. At her 3- and 6-month follow-ups, the degree of pain was sustained at NRS 3.

We believe that the reduction of allodynia using materials, which can absorb mechanical pressure and friction of the foot, can help manage pain from CRPS.