“enigmatic”
Lohnberg & Attmaier, 2012“excruciating pain”
Pyati & Feliu, 2015“exquisitely, severely, painful”
Moseley, 2009“a devastating neurological disorder”
<Redacted>, 2018
Pain serves an important role in self preservation. In our society, pain is something we can minimise through strength and/or the use of pharmaceuticals. Each and every one of us has experienced pain. Pain can demand our attention, bring us to a stand still or remind us of our strength.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (USA), CRPS is a neurological disorder characterised by severe and constant pain “believed to be caused by damage to, or malfunction of, the peripheral and central nervous systems”. CRPS can develop after an injury. In addition to constant burning/zapping pain, symptoms include hypersensitivity, diminished control of the affected limb, joint stiffness, abnormal circulation and temperature regulation, swelling, changes in skin texture and colour, tremors and fixed abnormal postures. CRPS can spread throughout the nervous system.
CRPS was “first described by Claude Bernard in 1851” (Evans, 1946; as cited in Hernandez-Porras, Plancarte-Sanchez, Alarcon-Barrios & Samano-Garcia, 2017) and involves “multiple system dysfunction, severe pain and disability”. CRPS “fascinates scientists and perplexes clinicians” (Marinus, Moseley, Birklein, Baron, Maihofner, Kingery & van Holten, 2011). “Sometimes the limb is too painful to even imagine moving” (Moseley, 2009). Despite this, I firmly believe that movement is medicine.
While “CRPS has a profound impact on many aspects of the lives of both patients and their spouses” (Kemler & Furnee, 2002), can lead to “reduced quality of life” and cause psychological duress; it is a physiological condition – “Research does not reveal support for specific personality of psychopathology predictors of the condition” (Lohnberg & Attmaier, 2012). ‘Neurological’ ≠ ‘neuroticism’.
Ronald Melzack and Warren S. Torgerson developed the McGill Pain Scale in 1971 to measure pain. CRPS – also known as ‘causalgia’ – was found to be one of the most severe forms of pain.
Everyone experiences pain; but not like this. The sensation is hard to describe. Here is my best effort: It feels like my leg is on fire in a cool room, trapped in a vice and being sanded down to the bone.
If you or someone you know has CRPS, please find comfort and levity whenever you can. Life is beautiful.