Generalized Chronic Pain Syndromes
Central Pain Syndrome & Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
How’s your pain today? I hope it’s not too bad. As a chronic pain patient myself, I know that some days can be better than others. For me, today, my pain levels are high, so I‘m having one of those “other” days. It’s cool, cloudy, and rainy here in Northeastern North Carolina, and the pain levels for my legs and feet have been hovering in the 5 to 7 range all day. That’s close to normal for me, but on some days, my pain seems to affect me all over, not just where I would normally expect it to feel it. I’ve been diagnosed with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBBS) or “Post-Laminectomy Syndrome” and with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), so it’s a double-whammy of pain badness for me.
Every chronic pain patient experiences their pain differently from all other chronic pain patients. Sometimes the cause of our pain is clear-cut, such as from a pinched nerve or from an injury that causes our pain to be somewhat localized. However, there are many of us with pain that spreads out of a local area and becomes a whole-body type of chronic pain experience. I thought today we might take a brief look at two of these generalized chronic pain syndromes.
Central Pain Syndrome (CPS) is a neurological condition that affects the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by damage to the CNS, which can come from a variety of factors and origins. Symptoms of CPS can include burning or stabbing pain in parts of the body that are not typically affected by other types of pain. Other common symptoms include numbness and tingling sensations, sensitivity to temperature changes and light touch, fatigue, insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Treatment for CPS usually involves medications such as antidepressants, including Cymbalta (Duloxetine), and anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin and Neurontin, as well as physical therapy or lifestyle modifications. CPS is most commonly associated with chronic pain secondary to central nervous system disease. The primary cause of nerve damage in CPS, often referred to as "scarring," can be caused by a number of diseases or disorders, including strokes, epilepsy, tumors, and neurological damage.
The severity of its symptoms may differ depending on the type and origin of the condition that led to the central nervous system damage. For example, someone who suffers from seizures that occur in their thalamus would experience more severe pain than someone who has brain lesions after a stroke. Symptoms also vary depending on the type and location of the nerve damage.
Another type of generalized chronic pain is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It is a debilitating chronic pain condition that can affect any part of the body but most commonly affects the arms and legs. It is characterized by intense burning or stinging pain, swelling, discoloration of the skin, and changes in temperature and texture of the affected area. CRPS usually develops after an injury or trauma to a specific area of the body. It is believed to be caused by damage to nerve fibers that transmit signals from the injured area to the brain. Treatment for CRPS includes physical therapy, medications, nerve blocks, and other therapies such as acupuncture and biofeedback, corticosteroids, and the same antidepressants and anticonvulsants as for CPS.
My CRPS was caused by the three spinal fusion surgeries (T5-S1) to correct my scoliosis. (One 7 1/2 hour original surgery, followed by two more 6+ hour “salvage” surgeries within a year to fix titanium rods and screws that failed three times. These surgeries led to neuropathy in both legs and feet, which, in turn, eventually became CRPS. If you’re wondering what CRPS is like, on some days, like today, my pain becomes so all-encompassing and widespread that it’s difficult to say exactly where the pain is coming from. It’s just “there!” No fun, but I’ll K.B.O., “Keep Buggering On,” as Sir Winston Churchill liked to say!
How about you? Do you suffer from either of these two syndromes, or do you know someone that does? If so, would you like to share your story with my readers? What works for you, or what hasn’t worked? I’m looking for chronic pain stories that can help inform others in pain as well as potentially help them discover new treatments for their chronic pain.
“Patient-centered Information and Advice, by Patients, for Patients.” is the new slogan of The Chronic Pain & Spine Health Report.” You could also call it “Pain Patients Helping Pain Patients.” But whatever it’s called, it only works if you’re willing to share your story. Please let me know if you’re interested.
Also, please let me know in the Comments what kind of chronic pain information you would like to see in upcoming Reports. Many Thanks and…
All the Best!
Franklin