Jessica Sapel

Seeing a child in pain is one of the most difficult things a parent can experience. What happens when a seemingly minor injury turns into long lasting, extreme pain for a child?  

When a child has a relatively minor injury, such as a sprained ankle or wrist, a regimen of rest, ice, splinting or casting, gentle range of motion, and time are usually recommended as the area heals. However, sometimes the pain seems to get worse instead of better. Further x-rays or testing can reveal that the original injury has healed and there is no obvious cause for the continued, intense pain. A possible explanation for families and medical professionals to investigate is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).  

Advance for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine published an article entitled "Within Reach". This article discusses CRPS as difficult to diagnose, however provides evidence of improvements in patient's pain level with combinations of education, physical therapy, and other strategies. Treatment strategies for CRPS involve changing pain pathways and messages that the brain sends long after the original injury has healed.

If your child experiences pain that seems to be significantly more severe in relation to the injury, longer lasting than expected, and severely limiting in most aspects of their daily life, please contact a physical therapist at Child and Family Development to discuss your child's case more specifically and the resources available to help your child get back to their healthy, happy self.

Image courtesy of uclahealth.org