Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
When designing my pain management massage approaches, I always think about the people suffering with CRPS and ask myself, could this help them? CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome) is considered by many to be the most painful illness someone can experience. Some of the symptoms include intense burning pain and hypersensitivity to touch, to the point that the feeling of clothing against their skin or a gentle breeze can be excruciating. This, in addition to joint stiffness, reduced range of motion, muscle spasms, and extreme responses to mild temperature fluctuations.
When designing my methods, I start with “Treat others how you would want to be treated,” then imagine how I would want to be cared for in my most painful moments. As a cancer survivor, I know how it feels to be in unimaginable levels of pain, to feel helpless and overwhelmed by agony. Although it is easy to believe our former hurt is nothing more than a blight in our lives, it is a gift. Cancer was the third greatest blessing of my life, and although I would never want to repeat it, it taught me that every hardship we face is an opportunity to help someone else, that in every second is an infinite snapshot of beauty and awe, and there is peace in forgiveness.
My pursuit to understand CRPS and how to help people suffering from it helps me serve as a more effective guide to the rest of my clients. The more I know, the more I can help.
What is CRPS
What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome? Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a type of high-impact chronic pain that tends to affect regions near the arm or leg. CRPS is a challenging condition to treat because it is poorly understood and is often ignored because the pain seems disproportionate to the injury. Due to this misunderstanding, people with complex regional pain syndrome are frequently mistaken for drug seekers, as no concrete pathological source can be ascertained.
What does Complex Regional Pain Syndrome feel like? People with CRPS report localized pain, which is described as burning, throbbing, and stabbing. They may experience allodynia, an extreme sensitivity to touch. Others describe increased limb size, redness, swelling, coolness, and skin shininess.
- Dynamic Mechanical: This hypersensitive category results from light, moving touch. It could be as gentle as a breeze blowing against their skin, brushing their hair, or feeling their clothing against their skin.
- Static Mechanical: This category is an extreme sensitivity to stationary pressure. This could be a handshake, hug, tap on the shoulder, or even tight clothing.
- Thermal: This type of Allodynia is a painful sensitivity to mild temperature changes. They might experience lukewarm water in the same way we might experience Arctic cold or boiling water.
- Movement: This category is triggered by normal, safe movements. For example, raising their arm could feel like the muscles were tearing away from their bones.
How can I help you? The goal of pain management massage is to inspire you with hope, ease your pain, and help you reclaim your day. Pain relief isn’t a switch that we can flip; it is a lifestyle of healthy habits. Pursuing this way of life requires a hopeful heart and the resolve to keep moving forward. To help you maintain your momentum, I’m here to provide you with something to look forward to. I want to serve as your lighthouse at the edge of the sea, shining a brilliant light that reminds you there is a way out of the storm.
- Be empathetic, present, and compassionate. I want to help you however I can, because I care. I care because, as a cancer survivor, I know how it feels to hurt. While I may not have CRPS, I have known all-encompassing, unimaginable agony for years on end. I know what it is like to have my pain levels ignored, to be misdiagnosed, and to receive inadequate guidance and treatment. Under my care, you will feel seen and heard. I will always believe you when you tell me you hurt, and I will help you as best as I can within my scope of practice.
- Be humble and kind. When providing insight or answering questions, I will have the humility to acknowledge the limitations of my knowledge and scope of practice. I want you to be a resourceful and effective advocate for yourself, so I will always provide you with information supported by the most credible evidence. Though I may know how it feels to hurt, I will never assume we have experienced the same pain, or that I am an expert on your existence. You have lived in your body your entire life; you are the expert. I rely on your input to adapt the massage to your needs, because your peace, safety, and pleasure are the focus of every session.
- Be creative and explorative. No two sessions are ever identical. While you may experience similar degrees and types of discomfort, how you feel will change from session to session. Every time you visit me for a pain management massage, I will creatively explore ways to facilitate your relief.
What is my role? My role as a massage therapist is to integrate into your functional restoration program. Functional restoration programs are a holistic, often multidisciplinary approach that addresses you as a whole person rather than viewing pain as the result of a single injury or illness.
What is my approach? My approach to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome uses gentle touch to help desensitize, reduce inflammation, and promote relaxation. Using methods that promote a pattern of safety, I want to help you retrain your brain so that it no longer believes it needs to create pain to protect you. If you have been diagnosed with CRPS, please consult with your physician before scheduling an appointment to ensure massage is a safe and beneficial addition to your pain management plan.
In addition to therapeutic massage, I provide my clients with pain neuroscience education. My goal is to introduce you to as many resources as I can to help you live your best possible life.
Important Massage Considerations
- If you have recently undergone a nerve block or nerve ablation, please provide a doctor’s note to clear you for massage to ensure your safety. A nerve block is a temporary injection used for short-term pain management or diagnosis. A nerve ablation uses radio frequency ablation (RFA) to disable a nerve’s ability to transmit nociceptive signals.
- If you are under the care of a physician who has prescribed ketamine, we will not be able to massage you while under its (or other impairing substances) effects.
- If you have an intrathecal baclofen pump, you must provide a doctor’s note indicating you are healthy enough to receive a massage. Additionally, please consult with your physician for guidance on any restrictions they would like your massage therapist to follow. Intrathecal baclofen therapy uses a surgically implanted pump to deliver a muscle relaxant directly into the spinal fluid. Learn more about intrathecal baclofen.
- If you have any implanted devices, such as neuromodulation devices, please provide written clearance from your doctor to ensure you are healthy enough to receive a massage. These devices may also be known as Spinal Cord Stimulators (SCS), or Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulators (DRG). Learn more about neuromodulation.
Massage For CRPS
Finding a massage therapist who knows about CRPS is a challenging endeavor; working with someone who has researched it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Massage for CRPS is more involved than a standard session because it requires effective communication, an understanding of modern pain science, and, specifically, complex regional pain syndrome.
In a standard massage, the therapist wants you to experience pleasure. In a massage for CRPS, feeling the meh sensation could be heaven on earth. An uninformed therapist might use techniques that would be great for 99% of the population, but completely incompatible with you. Especially since most massage therapists do not see a value in feather-light pressure. Feather-light pressure is one of the lightest forms of touch a therapist can provide in a massage. For most people, it may feel like a tickle, while for others, it may be no sensation at all. For you, that degree of pressure could be overwhelming, resulting in a confused massage therapist, not knowing how to help you, or worse, using an approach that causes you extreme discomfort.
Finding a massage therapist who can provide feather-light pressure is important, but it doesn’t mean it is the only pressure that can be used. Everyone is different; for some people, with CRPS, light pressure might be the best course of action, for others, medium pressure may be appropriate. As I am certain you already know, there is no one treatment plan that works for everyone. If you visit any of the forums, you’ll find that a treatment that works brilliantly for one person is a nightmare for another. For the most part, discovering relief is a trial-and-error approach.
Massage Therapy is Not a Replacement for Medical Care
Please consult with your healthcare provider before receiving a massage. Massage therapy is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This website does not prescribe treatments or diagnose conditions. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical concerns.
CRPS Resources
Shawn is a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFTME), and Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP).
