Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a form of chronic pain that usually affects the limbs. Alarmingly, though, 35 percent of sufferers eventually report symptoms throughout the body. CRPS typically develops after an injury, surgery, a stroke or heart attack. The condition may remain localized and spread slowly over years, or flare up like a wildfire out of control.
Typically, the pain is disproportionate to the severity of the initial injury. The main symptoms, apart from severe pain, are swelling, loss of range of motion, temperature changes, and changes in the skin.
It is estimated that CRPS affects nearly 200,000 patients annually in the United States. While many more women seem to suffer from CRPS than men (about 75 percent more), CRPS has been diagnosed in very young children and usually peaks around midlife.
With a prevailing medical opinion that there is no cure for this condition, the road for these patients seems one of endless suffering. Many patients will go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed for years before they are lucky enough to find The Spero Clinic – the only one of its kind in the United States.
Signs and Symptoms
Throughout history, many different names have been associated with CRPS, but its symptoms have remained the same:
- Continuous burning or throbbing pain, usually in the arm, leg, hand or foot
- Sensitivity to touch or cold
- Swelling of the painful area
- Changes in skin temperature — alternating between sweaty and cold
- Changes in skin color, ranging from white and blotchy to red or blue
- Changes in skin texture, which may become tender, thin or shiny in the affected area
- Changes in hair and nail growth
- Joint stiffness, swelling, and damage
- Muscle spasms, tremors, and weakness (atrophy)
- Decreased ability to move the affected body part.
Symptoms may change over time and vary from person to person. Pain, swelling, redness, noticeable changes in temperature and hypersensitivity (particularly to cold and touch) usually occur first.
The Vagus Nerve’s Relationship with CRPS
People who suffer from CRPS also tend to suffer, by definition, from an underactive Vagus Nerve. Essentially, this nerve works as a two-way highway, passing electrochemical signals between the organs and the brain. It directly controls the cells of the immune system. When it doesn’t function correctly, inflammation can occur in one part (or all the parts) of the body. This condition will cause your nerves to be “on fire.”
Good communication between the immune system and the brain is therefore vital for controlling inflammation. Of course, the problem in the body of CRPS patients is that the Vagus Nerve is doing anything but communicating with the body. Instead, it has become more like a clogged freeway, where only a few signals make it through in either direction.
Understanding the Condition
At The Spero Clinic, the first step to betterment is to understand the condition. Typically, the medical community has no cure for CRPS and can only seek to relieve the pain with pain medication.
The Spero Clinic’s treatment options are based on the premise that, unlike most treatments out there today, they do not aim to disrupt or numb the pain signals. Our healing methods are aimed at uncovering abnormalities in the central nervous system and restoring balance to that system. Consequently, inflammation will reduce and the body’s immune system will take over again.
According to Founder and CEO of The Spero Clinic, Dr. Katinka van der Merwe, “While learning how to treat the neurologic symptoms of CRPS, my basic holistic training and upbringing have come in very handy. That training has taught me that, unlike the mechanistic approach, the body is not like an engine. What I mean by that is that you cannot just treat different parts, forgetting that every part is connected to every other part.”
This understanding, that healing can only occur from within, has resulted in Spero’s treatment programs boasting a success rate of over 84%.
In Dr. Katinka’s words, “This is the reason I have a fire burning in my heart, and passion filling my days. It is not just about beating the monster… it’s about being charged and blessed with the responsibility to help guide people just like you back to life, instead of merely surviving and living “around” your pain. You deserve to live with passion again. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be alive again with joy.”
For more information, call 479-304-8202 or book a FREE consultation with one of Spero’s chronic pain specialists to see if our program is a good fit for you.
