Is no pain the way to manage your CRPS?
Complex regional pain syndrome is a painful condition where even the lightest touch can cause severe pain in the affected area. Our natural reaction is to guard the area and avoid using it.
The case series published in the Clinical Rehabilitation Journal showed that progressive activity with the affected limb, sometimes despite increased pain leads to increased ability to function. If for example, someone puts their hand in a cast for several weeks and then removes the cast, the immobility will cause joint stiffness and maybe some initial discomfort when moving. This journal gives the uncomfortable suggestion that people should really try to work through the pain and try to be as active as possible. This study implies the need for high quality physical therapists and pain psychology are a necessary part of a treatment plan for those with complex regional pain syndrome.
The Research
Clin Rehabil. 2009 Dec;23(12):1059-66. doi: 10.1177/0269215509339875.
Pain exposure physical therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for longstanding complex regional pain syndrome type 1: a case series.
Ek JW1, van Gijn JC, Samwel H, van Egmond J, Klomp FP, van Dongen RT.
1
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Bethesda Hospital, Hoogeveen.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To determine if treatment of longstanding complex regional pain syndrome type 1, focusing on functional improvement only while neglecting pain, results in clinical improvement of this syndrome.
DESIGN:
Prospective description of a case series of 106 patients.
SETTING:
Outpatient clinic for rehabilitation.
INTERVENTIONS:
Physical therapy of the affected limb directed at a functional improvement only while neglecting the pain, was performed following an extensive explanation. Normal use of the limb between the treatments was encouraged despite pain. A maximum of five of these sessions were performed in three months.
MEASURES:
Radboud Skills Test was used to monitor functional improvement of the arms. Speed and walking distance was used as the measure of outcome for the legs.
RESULTS:
The function of the affected arm or leg improved in 95 patients. Full functional recovery was experienced in 49 (46%) of them. A reduction in pain presented in 75 patients. In 23 patients functional recovery was reached despite an increase in pain. Four patients stopped early due to pain increase.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our results suggest that ‘pain exposure physical therapy’ is effective and safe for patients who are unresponsive to accepted standard therapies. Avoiding the use of a limb due to pain will result in loss of function. Forced usage of limbs restores the function, reverses these adaptive processes and leads to regain of control by practice with a reduction of pain in most cases.
