10 Treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

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Breaking or spraining a limb or having surgery hurts. That’s normal.

But burning pain, warm, sensitive, and swollen skin, and restricted mobility in your hands and feet long after an injury or surgery aren’t. 

These symptoms could mean complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) — a chronic pain disorder.

Yes, some doctors say it’s just a made-up condition for drug seekers.

And they’re wrong. It’s a real disorder. Here are some minimally-invasive treatments:

1. Nerve Block Injections

Research suggests that injury to or abnormality with the peripheral or central nervous system may cause complex regional pain syndrome.

Nerve block injections can give you quick, extended pain relief by blocking errant nerve signals. 

The two types of nerve block procedures for CRPS are stellate ganglion blocks and sympathetic nerve blocks.

2. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation therapy can relieve chronic pain conditions like CRPS by applying electrical impulses to nerve endings.

3. Spinal Cord Stimulation

This minimally invasive procedure involves inserting tiny electrodes along your spinal cord, which deliver electrical current that can relieve chronic pain.

4. Physical Therapy

For many people affected by CRPS, one of the keys to a better quality of life is improved or fully restored limb function. 

Physical therapy can do this by increasing blood flow, strength, and flexibility in the injured limb.

5. Desensitization

One of the symptoms of CRPS is increased or extreme skin sensitivity. Even gentle contact with the affected limb or area can be painful. 

Desensitization therapy can decrease the sensitivity over time by introducing affected areas to various sensations, including varying textures, weights, and temperatures.

6. Oral and Intravenous Medication

There aren’t any CRPS-specific medications, but the following medicines can help with the pain:

  • over-the-counter pain medications (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin)
  • Antidepressants and anticonvulsants
  • corticosteroids
  • dextromethorphan 
  • intravenous ketamine

7. Topical Pain Medication

Over-the-counter creams and patches, such as lidocaine and capsaicin, can reduce skin hypersensitivity.

8. Occupational Therapy

CRPS can be a debilitating condition that stops you from performing everyday activities and maintaining your school, work, family, and social life.

Occupational therapists can teach and equip you with methods and assistive devices that help you adapt so you don’t have to put your life on hold.

9. Mirror Therapy

With “magical” mirror therapy, you first position yourself next to a mirror.

Next, you hide your CRPS-affected limb, allowing the mirror image of your healthy limb to “take its place.”

Finally, move your healthy limb around and watch it move in the mirror.

The goal is to train your brain to perceive your healthy limb as your CRPS-afflicted limb. Research suggests this might increase flexibility and function and reduce pain.

10. Psychotherapy

How you think can have a massive impact on you physically.

Mental illnesses such as PTSD, major depressive disorder, and social anxiety disorder can make you focus and even obsess about pain symptoms.

That’s why getting your mental illness treated can give your CRPS treatment an added boost.

World-Class Treatment for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 

At Texas Pain Physicians, our mission is to provide comprehensive pain care to our patients. 

Our board-certified pain physicians work in the most advanced pain care facilities and have the expertise and cutting-edge technology to improve your quality of life and functionality.

Please give us a call or book your appointment online today!

Do I Have Tendonitis or Tendinosis?

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You’ve probably had or at least heard of the tendon problem known as tennis elbow. And chances are you’ve heard people say that it’s a form of tendonitis.

You may not have heard of the other type of tendon problem called tendinosis.

Its symptoms are often mistaken for tendonitis, and therefore, it’s often treated like tendonitis. 

Let’s zoom in on five common misunderstandings to see if we can clear up the confusion.

1. Tendonitis is a chronic pain condition. (Wrong!)

Tendonitis is acute or sudden onset, short-term pain from inflammation due to a direct injury.

The symptoms of tendonitis, which are due to inflammation, include swelling, redness, and warmth.

By contrast, tendinosis or tendinopathy is chronic or consistent and recurring pain due to degeneration. Repetitive trauma or injuries causes degeneration characterized by microscopic tears in the tendon.

Tendinosis symptoms include pain but no swelling, redness, or warmth. 

2. Rest is always the best treatment for tendon pain. (Wrong!)

Resting or keeping weight off the tendon doesn’t cure tendinosis because the pain is due to degeneration rather than inflammation. 

The initial pain and swelling of tendinosis are similar to inflammation, but the underlying cause is chronic degeneration due to aging, repetitive use, or repeated injury. 

Tendonitis, however, is characterized by inflammation. Therefore, resting or keeping weight off of the tendon does help bring healing and pain relief. 

3. Anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, and cold therapy are always effective treatments for tendon pain. (Wrong!)

These are effective treatments for pain from inflammation, so they are effective in treating tendonitis. 

For tendinosis,  anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, and cold therapy can relieve pain in the short run but can’t heal the degenerative damage.

What will provide healing and pain relief is physical therapy that stretches the injured tendon and surrounding muscles.

4. Tennis elbow is always tendonitis. (Wrong!)

The truth is, tennis elbow can be either tendinosis or tendonitis. Tennis elbow affects the tendons that connect the forearm muscle to the outside of the elbow. 

Treatment will depend on the type of tendon pain.

5. Plantar fasciitis is a form of tendonitis. (Wrong!)

Plantar fasciitis is tendinosis in the plantar fascia, the long, thin ligament on the bottom of the foot. Over time, micro-tears develop in the plantar fascia, which causes pain. 

Tendonitis and tendinosis treatment in Houston and Dallas

At Texas Pain Physicians, our pain management specialists know how to diagnose and treat tendon pain. Please don’t make the mistake of guessing what’s causing your pain then applying the wrong treatment. 

To make your appointment, give us a call or book online today!

 

5 Popular Fibromyalgia Myths Debunked

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Fibromyalgia is often mistaken for other chronic pain conditions, disorders, and diseases.

There’s widespread misinformation about this disease, which has created a lot of confusion.

Let’s dig into it and separate five common fibromyalgia facts from fiction. 

1. Fibromyalgia isn’t real. (Wrong!!!)

Many doctors tell patients with fibromyalgia symptoms that the disease doesn’t exist. Then a rheumatologist or pain specialist diagnoses them with fibromyalgia. What’s going on here?

It’s simple. Everyone has blood pressure and blood sugar and experiences physical and emotional pain to some degree.

Doctors diagnose diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) when blood sugar and blood pressure are above the normal range on a sliding scale.

And that’s how they diagnose fibromyalgia, with pain being the variable that goes beyond the normal range instead of blood pressure or blood sugar.

Now, pain and fatigue from exercise, injuries, and lack of sleep comes and goes. It’s normal. But steady pain in several or more body parts for three months or longer isn’t, and fibromyalgia may be to blame.

2. Fibromyalgia is just normal muscle pain. (Wrong!!!)

General practitioners tend to think the cause of muscle pain and discomfort is in the immediate area. So, if your knee or ankle hurts, the problem must be in your knee or ankle. 

The reality, however, is that fibromyalgia pain is likely neurological (a problem with the central nervous system), and has non-pain symptoms.

3. Fibromyalgia is a fallback diagnosis. (Wrong!!!)

It’s often called a fallback diagnosis because there isn’t one specific test or telltale symptom used to diagnose it. 

However, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has developed specific diagnostic criteria.

These factors indicate fibromyalgia (according to the ACR): 

a) Recent pain and other symptoms such as fatigue and mental disturbances in the past week. The pain reaches a specific severity level and occurs in at least several out of 19 parts of the body.

Symptoms include fatigue, non-restoring sleep, and cognitive problems (memory and thinking impairment).

b) At least three months of consistent symptoms.

c) Absence of other health problems to account for these symptoms.

4. Fibromyalgia is just masked depression. (Wrong!!!)

Fibromyalgia and depression (major depressive disorder) are often associated because of their overlapping symptoms.

Many fibromyalgia patients also have depression, and many patients with depression also suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms. 

However, many people with fibromyalgia don’t have depression, and many people with depression don’t have fibromyalgia. 

5. Only women get fibromyalgia. (Wrong!!!)

Women account for at least 75% of fibromyalgia cases, and men are less likely to receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis. However, that doesn’t mean men are less likely to develop the disease.

 Gender-based bias in diagnosing fibromyalgia may be why women account for most cases.

Fibromyalgia Pain Treatment in Texas

Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or think you may have it? At Texas Pain Physicians, our expert pain specialists will find the cause of your pain or discomfort and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.

To learn more or book an appointment, please give us a call. You can also make an appointment online 24/7.

7 Common Arthritis Myths Debunked

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According to the CDC, over 23% of adults have arthritis.

Like other common diseases and health conditions, there’s a lot of misconceptions about it. 

Let’s look at seven of the most common arthritis myths and zero in on the facts.

1. Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. 

Studies comparing the incidence of hand arthritis in habitual knuckle-crackers and non-knuckle crackers show that the habit likely doesn’t cause arthritis. 

But you may want to stop cracking your knuckles anyhow because studies show that habitual knuckle cracking can lead to lost grip strength and injuries. 

2. Arthritis isn’t preventable. 

Both your parents having arthritis is not a guarantee that you will. Though your genetic makeup does increase or decrease your chances, lifestyle choices factor in, too. 

Consistently high stress levels, excess body weight, and bad habits like smoking increase your risk of developing arthritis.  

3. Only older people get arthritis. 

Though the risk of arthritis increases sharply after age forty-five, younger adults and children can develop the disease, too. Injuries, especially repeated injuries, increase the risk of arthritis at all ages.

For instance, when someone suffers repeated knee injuries, the cartilage which pads the knee joint wears down, leading to osteoarthritis. 

4. Exercise makes arthritis worse. 

The myth is that exercise wears out the joints and increases the risk of arthritis.

The truth is that exercise can reduce arthritis pain and slow its progression. Safe, productive exercise builds up the muscles around the joints and increases flexibility and range of motion. 

5. Certain diets can ease arthritis symptoms.

This is only true for people who have celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or both. Otherwise, there is no scientific evidence that any diet improves arthritis symptoms. 

6. Joint pain means arthritis. 

If you have joint pain, you may have arthritis, and you may not. Other common conditions, such as bursitis, tendonitis, or soft-tissue injuries, may be causing the pain.  

These conditions and injuries cause swelling and pain in the structures around the joints, mimicking joint pain caused by arthritis. 

7. Joint replacement surgery is the only effective arthritis treatment. 

Many people with arthritis don’t ever need joint replacement surgery.

Yes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are progressive diseases. But treatment can effectively reduce or eliminate pain and slow degeneration, especially treatment in the early stages.

Arthritis Pain Treatment at Texas Pain Physicians

If you are in pain from arthritis or think you may have arthritis, we can help. Our board-certified pain specialists treat the full spectrum of arthritis pain with well-established and advanced interventional pain treatments. 

Please give us a call or book your appointment online.