Everyone experiences pain as a result of an injury at some point in their lives. Perhaps you broke your arm in a car accident, sprained your elbow playing tennis, or recently went through an invasive surgery. Regardless, the expectation is that the pain will go away once the injury or surgical scars heal—and it usually does.
However, in rare cases, that pain is replaced by something rather unexpected: more pain.
“It’s called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Most people don’t know that term, but those who experience it tend to describe it as a type of strong pain that doesn’t seem to make sense compared to the initial injury or surgery,” Dr. Eric Anderson of Advanced Pain Institute of Texas said. “Even after the injury has healed, they have this different pain.”
He added, “For some people, the pain will be so great that they’ll stop using the affected extremity altogether.”
What does “different pain” mean, exactly?
It differs from person to person. Some might experience a burning or throbbing pain in their previously broken arm. Another person may notice heightened pain when the water hits their leg or foot just right in the shower, or if a stiff breeze raises or lowers the temperature outside.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome isn’t life-threatening. It’s also extremely rare, affecting about 200,000 people every year in the United States. That said, it is considered a neurological condition with a lengthy list of symptoms. And the sooner you receive a diagnosis and treatment, the better off you will be.
“Some people sit on the pain, thinking that it will improve with time. But it’s always best to seek treatment sooner rather than later for something like this,” Dr. John Broadnax added. “Our treatment options at Advanced Pain Institute can include special shots to block the pain, physical therapy and the use of stimulation devices that send electronic impulses throughout the impacted area to calm your nerves and, hopefully, limit painful symptoms.”
To learn more about how the Advanced Pain Institute of Texas can help you with this or any other condition causing you pain, visit apitexas.com or call 972-866-4246. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Sponsored content written by Steve Gamel)
