Traditional - Western Medicine vs Complementary/Alternative Treatments For CRPS

There are a lot of opinions about how to treat Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) aka RSD.

The majority or 99% of the physicians out there will want to start with Pain meds., anti-inflammatory meds, Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy, local/regional blocks and then move on to Sympathetic Blocks.   If there is no improvement with these modalities the next conversation will most likely be about having a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted.  Or a pain pump that delivers morphine directly to the nerves affected in the spine.



What happens to the patient when they are told by their physician there is nothing more they can do? Do you just continue on large quantities of pain medications and continue down the slippery slope?  Or do you fight to find something that will help, a treatment that can possibly put this awful condition into remission.



I have been on both sides of this.  I personally was diagnosed with a very aggressive, volatile case of CRPS.  Local & Regional Blocks did not work on me.  My Pain Management doctor was dumbfounded when this occurred.  Thus we moved onto Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks.  I had 13 LSB, until the last one caused my Adrenal Glands to completely shut down.  This landed me in the hospital for a week.  Following this my Pain Management doctor stated we could no longer do any LSB.  Thus, his next step was talking to me about having a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted.  I was against the idea and had a really bad gut feeling about it, but I was told this was the last option I had to reduce my pain.  I went through with the trial and it went well.  Approximately 6 months later I had a Medtronic SCS implanted.  I had nothing but issues with it.  Every time I charged the battery it caused my affected foot to swell.  They could not figure out why this was happening.  The next step was to have the battery replaced with a non-rechargeable battery.  I underwent the surgery to change out the batteries in hopes this would correct any issues.  Keep in mind that with each of these surgeries I had to be admitted to the hospital to control my pain, even though they were supposed to be an out patient procedure.  Unfortunately, the second surgery to change the battery did not help.  I then started to have issues with the paddle that was implanted.  Long story short, they had to explant the Medtronic SCS and implanted a BostonScientific SCS. It was during this time that my CRPS moved into my back!  I had asked my Neurosurgeon if this could happen and was assured it wouldn't - it did happen after all...  I had this one for less than 6 months when I lost the ability to control the stimulation.  Upon further review of the situation and my symptoms it was determined that I had a build up of scar tissue on my Dura, that could cause paralysis if the SCS was not removed.  In Feb., 2011 the last SCS was ex planted from my spine.  At that point I was told by my Pain Management doctor, who is highly regarded, that there was nothing else he could do except to keep me on pain meds.  He was ultimately throwing his hands up in the air! This did not set well with me.  I'm not a quitter and this was no exception!



I had been inquiring into other types of treatment options that were available for CRPS.  I had received information on Calmare Therapy, and there had been a lot of promising write-ups on it.  My Pain Management doctor and I had even spoken with a doctor in Florida regarding Ketamine Infusion treatments.  I had been on oral Ketamine for years, so I had an idea of what Ketamine was capable of.  I also had some family members that gave me information on treatment options outside the US, in Frankfurt, Germany.  The treatments in Germany consisted of Alternative Medicine or what could be called complementary medicine.  My first trip to Frankfurt, Germany was when I was 6 weeks post-op from having my SCS removed.  I was on so many pain meds to just make that trip and I was still in pain!



Germany does more research on CRPS and is more advanced in the treatment options than in the US.  Plus, they do not have the same restrictions since they do not have to deal with the FDA.  My first visit there they worked on boosting my immune system, I did Stem a Cell therapy utilizing Stem Cells from my own blood, Neural Therapy with Ozone, PT, Lymphatic Massages, bodywork, vitamin IV's, blood ozone therapy, and more.  This dropped my pain levels, but I did not go into remission.

My Pain Management doctor did not know what to say when I returned with my pain levels
significantly lower.  He was dumbfounded.



Between 2011-2013, I was treated outside of the US 5-6 times.  I was the first CRPS patient in the world to be treated with 'Regional Hyperthermia'.  This significantly decreased my pain levels.  There were numerous treatments that were completed in Frankfurt, Germany that decreased my pain levels to a 5 but over the long run I was unable to stay in Germany long enough to get into remission.

Unfortunately, in October of 2013 my pain levels started to increase again.  I had been told of a Master Hypnotist, Retired Captain in the Navy, Advanced Practice RN, Nurse Anesthesiologist, NGH - Ron Eslinger.    He specializes in Pain Management, working with patients that have Chronic Pain, Phantom Limb Pain, Cancer Pain & PTSD.  His office is located in TN.  I contacted Mr. Eslinger and we spoke for quite a while.  I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with going through with a commitment of time and money to be treated by him.  He also wanted an outline of what I had been through, how I was diagnosed, what treatments I had completed, etc.  He is very thorough to say the least.  I will say that I had tried hypnosis previously and it did not help me, but I was told by several people that Mr. Eslinger was considered the Top, Master, Best of the Best when it came to Chronic Pain.  I had nothing to loose and everything to gain!  The second week in November, 2013 I flew to Knoxville, TN.  Then I drove to the city that Ron Eslinger's office is located.



I was told to expect an intense week of hypnosis, bio-feedback, imagery, working with EFT, learning self-hypnosis and doing homework every night.  We spent approximately 6-7 hours per day together, then I had reading and reviewing of the CD's of our sessions as homework.  It was a busy, intense week, but every day I saw progress that I had not seen else where.  By day 3 the CRPS pain in my back was down to a 3!  Unbelievable.  With continued work, on day 4, my back dropped to a ZERO!  Then on my last day with Mr. Eslinger we were able to get the pain in my left foot/ankle to a ZERO!  In addition to this I had a little to that was in continual spasm due to a knicked lateral plantar nerve, and we were able to get the spasms to stop for the first time since 2007.  No one thought that could happen.  When I left TN, I was given homework to follow up on at home.  This included self-hypnosis, listening to the CD 's of my sessions with Mr. Eslinger, etc.  This is key to my continued progress.



I followed up with my Pain Management doctor a week after I returned from TN.  I walked in without my cane for the first time in 6+ years, I actually had long pants on that could touch my ankle, and I had a pair of shoes on!  When my doctor came in he was shocked to say the least.  He made me take my shoe off, he wanted to see if my little toe was still spasming as it had been since 2007. When he saw it was not moving, my coloration was great in my foot, and we could both touch my foot/ankle - he pushed back on his stool, looked around the room for cameras and asked, "Am I getting punked?"  I had to laugh at him.  How could someone make this up?  He finally told me, if I would have called him with this news he would have laughed at me, but seeing me in person is believing.  I just saw him for another follow up, and he said he can not stop thinking about what I have done... It is blowing his mind.  He is considering going to get trained by Ron Eslinger on his technique.  No joke.



Whether you try Calmare Therapy which has had some great success stories with CRPS, hypnosis with someone that specializes in Chronic Pain, or other proven treatments - there are options available.  Or you may be an individual that just wants to stick with Traditional medicine - do what is right for you and your body.  What is right for one person is not necessarily right for all, but as you can see there are other treatment options out there.  Sometimes you have to search, find resources,
and do some homework but if it can help you in the long run it just may be worth it.

Can Hypnosis help CRPS/RSD Patients?

First of all let us start from the beginning – what is hypnosis?  There are so many misconceptions out there and different beliefs about what hypnosis is, what it’s about and does it really work.



Yes, there are the stage shows that we have all seen where you have they guy on stage that pulls several people up there with him and makes them look stupid, quack like a duck, take half their clothes off or even has a participant try to seduce someone.  Those are the types of things that have given hypnosis a bad name and people can’t get over the fact that there really is more to it.





Here are some facts and information on hypnosis: 

Clinical hypnosis is a procedure in which a trained clinician or therapist gives a patient a series of verbal instructions with the goal of helping the patient to enter a state of deep relaxation.  In the relaxed state, the patient is aware of everything that is going on, but at the same time, becomes increasingly absorbed in using his or her imagination as directed by the therapist.  Therapists use a variety of techniques to help their patients acquire the self-control and confidence to visualize, realize, and achieve goals such as reducing sensations of pain.  Therapists often teach their patients self-hypnosis methods that they can employ on their own to reinforce and continue to process at home.

Patients participated in a self-hypnosis relaxation session that involved deep-breathing and concentration techniques.  The researchers found that these patients required less than half the amount of painkilling drugs used by those receiving standard treatments.  Procedures also took less time for the hypnosis group, and they had lower levels of anxiety and pain at both one hour and four hours into a procedure.



In addition, a review of 13 studies of Chronic Pain published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnotherapy in 2007 found that hypnosis consistently reduced pain and was effective that physical therapy and educational efforts.  Clinical research shows that hypnosis can be effective in treating fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, chronic pain conditions and CRPS/RSD.



In 1958 the American Medical Association (AMA) endorsed hypnosis and hypnotherapy as a legitimate treatment tool for pain, stress and relaxation management, weight loss, smoking cessation, childbirth, preparing for surgery, as well as overcoming fears of medical, dental and other hospital procedures.



Hypnosis is older than medicine and has been with us since mankind had its beginnings.  Virtually every culture and race of people have used it.



In biblical times, people went to “sleep temples” to be cured of their illnesses by the Egyptian priests.  The ancient Chinese employed hypnotic techniques in the form of prayer and meditation.  There is evidence that the Romans used “magic sleep” for various purposes.  The Greeks unknowingly used hypnosis, thinking that cures came from the Gods.  Hippocrates wrote about impressing health on the ill by inducing trances and by making passes.

Throughout the centuries, many medical individuals have studied, researched, and experimented with hypnosis.  In doing so, they usually were labeled charlatans, quacks, or imposters.  It is impossible to mention all of those individuals who contributed to the development and progress of modern hypnosis, but in seems necessary to mention a few.

From 1932 – 1974, Milton Erickson, a psychologist and psychiatrist pioneered the art of indirect suggestion in hypnosis.  He is considered the father of modern hypnosis.  His methods bypassed the conscious mind through the use of both verbal and nonverbal pacing techniques including metaphor, confusion, and many others.  He was a colorful character and has immensely influenced the practice of contemporary hypnotherapy, and its official acceptance by the AMA.  His work, combined with the work of Satir and Perls, was the basis for Bandler and Grinder’s Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).



Top Hypnotherapists that deal with Chronic Pain Patients and CRPS:

There are two gentlemen that are very involved with hypnosis and hypnotherapy that I would like to mention to you.  David Spiegel, MD is a Professor at the School of Medicine and Associate Chairman of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, both at Stanford University School, where he has been a member of the academic faculty since 1975.  He is also director of the Psychosocial Research Laboratory.  He received his medical and psychiatric training at Harvard University before going to Stanford.  He is the author of more than 280 research papers, chapters in scientific journals, and books.



David Spiegel has long had an interest in the use of hypnosis as treatment for medical symptom and treatment side effects.  In 1978, he and his father, Herbert Spiegel, MD, co-authored what has become a standard text book on the clinical uses of hypnosis, Trance and Treatment.  The use of self-hypnosis to help children undergoing painful procedures is among his current research funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  He is the past President of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and in 1986, he was the recipient of the Schneck Award for significant contributions to the development of medical hypnosis.  In 1998, David Spiegel opened the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford Medical Center and serves as its Medical Director.



Dr. Spiegel has done many studies showing how hypnosis does affect the pain receptors in the brain.  They have utilized PET Scans before and after to show exactly where the pain shows in the brain when a patient is in extreme pain.  Then they have taken the same PET scan following hypnosis for pain and the area is no longer lighting up as it did when the patient was experience extreme pain.  This was a consistent finding thus it shows that hypnosis for pain does work.

Another person that is well known for Pain Hypnosis is Ron Eslinger, Captain, USN, Retired, RN, CRNA, MA, APN, BCH, CMI FNCH (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Master of Arts, Advanced Practice Nurse, Board Certified Hypnotherapists, Certified Master Instructor of Hypnosis, Fellow National Counsel for Hypnotherapy (United Kingdom)).



Ron Eslinger has dealt with chronic pain patients for many years now with phenomenal outcomes.  As a Certified Master Instructor of Hypnosis, Mr. Eslinger not only sees patients, but he also teaches others on how to treat Chronic Pain patients too.



When working with Chronic Pain patients or CRPS patients Ron Eslinger has found that the hippocampus, which controls memory, is another player within the Limbic System.  There are three types of memory:  working memory, declarative memory, and procedural memory.  The hippocampus is critical in cementing declarative memory, which can be compared to the memory in the hard drive of a computer.   Of these three types of memory – only declarative memory impacts our perception of reality. 



During recall, we fit together a piece of the puzzle here and a piece of the puzzle there and put it back together as a complete memory.  Hypnotic processes help reconstruct the pieces of a puzzle.  Hypnosis helps one to remember how they are supposed to feel, replacing the memory of pain or stress with a new memory of comfort.  Hypnosis brings memories back together completing the picture.  However, memories can be as false as they can be true.  All memories are based on perception and perception becomes the reality.



Procedural memory is stored as conditioned responses for reflexes.  Reflexes are actions, habits or skills that are learned simply through repetition.  We all develop procedural memories.



Hypnosis Relieves Pain:

Hypnosis has been used to relieve pain and influence behavior for more than 150 years now.  Evidence based research on the use of hypnosis to relieve pain is limited, but a larger, well-designed study did boost its credibility as a useful and cost-saving pain relief method for hospital procedure rooms.



Published In:  The Lancet in 2000, the study evaluated the effectiveness of hypnosis-termed “non-pharmacologic analgesia” – in easing pain and anxiety in people who were having minimally invasive surgical therapies such as angiograms, angioplasty, simply kidney procedures, or liver biopsies, during which they remained conscious.

Hypnosis allows pain relief without drugs or surgery.  Here is a link to an article from Harvard regarding this:  http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/pain-relief-withouth-drugs-and-surgery.




If you would like additional information on hypnosis and chronic pain management please contact
Advanced Pathways Hypnosis at: Info@Advancedpathways.com  |  www.AdvancedPathways.com   |   714.717.6633

CRPS/Chronic Pain Patients & How Clinical Hypnosis Can Benefit Them

CRPS / Chronic Pain Patients and How Clinical Hypnosis Can Benefit Them

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome aka CRPS has been around since the Civil War.  Yet most recently when it is coming to the attention of the media it is being called, “The Mystery Illness…” as well as many other things.  Early on it was called Regional Sympathetic Dystrophy aka RSD, and then recently the name was changed to CRPS. 

According to most physicians that you will speak with they will tell you that they are not sure what causes CRPS.  What they do know is that your “Fight or Flight” nerves are continuously sending signals to the brain that there is trauma in the affected area.  Thus, the brain in turn sends back a pain signal and the patient is caught in a continuous loop of pain.  Yes, it is more complicated than this, but this is the easiest way to explain it so that everyone reading this can understand what is happening.  Now, the BIG question is how do we stop that pain signal?

For those of you that have read my earlier blogs, you know that I am a CRPS patient myself.  I was diagnosed in 2007.  I was diagnosed by a highly regarded Pain Management Doctor with two Doctorates and he is also an Associate Professor at a teaching University.  He initially thought he could have me in remission within 6 months… Well, as of the end of 2011 he had thrown his hands up as nothing he did worked and he was out of options.  That is not too comforting as a patient!  What he soon found out was that I refused to give in to CRPS, it had taken over my life, it had taken everything from me except for my will power.  I was originally diagnosed with CRPS type 2 in my left foot/ankle and after going through several Spinal Cord Stimulator surgeries, it also moved into my back.  After the usual traditional medicine failed me here in the US, I started flying to Frankfurt, Germany to get out of the control of the FDA to get treatment, and I even went to Mexico several times too.  Germany was able to get my pain levels from what you would know as a (10++++++) on the pain scale down to a 5.  I thought that was great, but after several months of being home it would slowly start to go back up.  I was treated in Frankfurt at a private clinic that I would highly recommend 5-6 times.  The Medical Director had dealt with CRPS previously and was not afraid to step out and try new things!  I was eventually introduced to what is called, Clinical Hypnosis, November of 2013.

I was referred to a person that specifically works with Chronic Pain patients, patients with CRPS, Phantom Limb Pain, Fibromyalgia, Cancer Pain, etc… 

Many people hear “hypnosis” and they think of the old stage shows, black magic, etc…  That is not what I am talking about at all! 

What is hypnosis?            The American Medical Association defines hypnosis as a temporary condition of altered attention, within which a variety of phenomena may appear spontaneously, or manifest themselves in response to verbal or other stimuli.  To state it simply, when a person is hypnotized or relaxed, their susceptibility to suggestion is increased.  Thus hypnosis or relaxation can be considered a learning process.

What is Chronic Pain?     Chronic Pain is pain that lasts longer than 6 months.  In some cases untreated pain may worsen as the nerve fibers which transmit pain signals to the brain become more efficient and effective at sending these messages to the brain.  This means that the intensity with increase to more than is necessary to get your attention and thus your brain will become more sensitive to pain.  If this persists then the usefulness of the pain will diminish and could instead lead to preventing individuals from going about their everyday activities / life.

When being in pain, pain causes stress or being stressed worsens pain – therapies including hypnosis, meditation and relation – may break the cycle (if taught by a Certified Clinical Hypnotist with experience in Pain Management).

Benefits of Hypnosis?    Research has shown medical / clinical hypnosis to be helpful for acute and chronic pain. In 1996, a panel of the National Institutes of Health found hypnosis to be effective in easing cancer pain.  More recent studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in pain related to burns, cancer, R.A. , Chronic Pain and the reduction of anxiety associated with surgery.  An analysis of 18 studies by researcher at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York revealed moderate to large pain relieving effects from hypnosis, supporting the effectiveness of hypnosis for pain management.

Overview:           A big part of chronic pain and dealing with it via hypnosis is an area of the brain referred to as the, “Limbic System”.  This area includes the Hypothalamus, Amygdala and Hippocampus.  When functioning properly, the Limbic System sets the emotional tone of the mind and influences changes throughout the body by using chemical messages.  However, when functioning abnormally numerous health problems can occur.  Physical problems, such as lack of sleep, too much stress, or chronic pain, exacerbates the problems created by an out-of-balance Limbic System.  In some cases, depending on the external factors, these imbalances can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  This is the essence of stress turning into distress. 

The Hypothalamus also regulates the functioning of the parasympathetic and the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous systems, which in turn means it regulates things like pulse, blood pressure, breathing, and arousal in response to emotional circumstances.  Therefore, changing thoughts also changes our health.  Ultimately hypnosis is used, along with other techniques, to retrain the brain’s response through the Limbic System.

A good clinical hypnotherapist will take the time to find out where your Chronic Pain or CRPS is most prominent.  The person I saw explained the brain, the Limbic System, how cells regenerate every 90 days (and cells have memories… thus every 90 days you have the opportunity to reprogram your cells…), how the nerves fire in the brain and the biggest thing – “There is no pain, until the signal gets to the brain…”  How true that statement was!

We spent 30+ hours utilizing clinical hypnosis, bio-feedback, imagery, light/sound therapy and being taught ‘self-hypnosis’.   When all was said and done I found out that I too was suffering from PTSD in addition to CRPS.  This did make sense to me.  We worked on my pain levels or as he called them my, “comfort levels”, my sleep (going in I was doing good to get 2 hours per night), gaining control over what was important to me, etc… When I came home I had a copy of every session on CD, books, other CDs to listen to, my own light/sound therapy machine and felt fully equipped to keep my “Comfort Levels” at a ZERO.

If you would like more information on Clinical Hypnosis and how it could help you or a loved one dealing with Chronic Pain or CRPS please feel free to contact me!  I can be reached at rsd.crpsforum@gmail.com.

This is just an overview of hypnosis for pain management.  It is not meant as medical advice.  If you are under the care of a physician please continue their orders.

New Treatment Options for CRPS Patients

Recently I have seen many new article in various papers and online calling CRPS a "mystery illness".  I have to laugh since CRPS / RSD has been around for many years.  I know that CRPS / RSD is no laughing matter as this is a diagnosis that changes your life from the onset of the diagnosis, to every pain, burning sensation you have and grueling time that you have going through life.



As a CRPS type 2, patient myself - I fully understand what Complex Regional Pain Syndrome can do to a person, their livelihood, their family, outlook on life, loss of friends, loss of social life, and spiraling out of control pain!  This is not a diagnosis that is to be taken lightly.


When I was first diagnosed I was told by my Pain Management Doctor that I would be in remission within 6 months.  Well, that did not happen.  My journey started in 2007 when a DPM during a surgery cut into my Tibial Nerve bundle and my Lateral Plantar Nerve.  Unfortunately, he left me with more damage than that, but that is what led to my CRPS.



My treatment started off with medications, local blocks, physical therapy (lots of physical therapy), and when none of that worked I was moved up to more serious meds and Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks.  I went through 13 Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks (until the last one caused my Adrenal Glands to completely shut down).  This put me in the hospital for close to a week to try to figure out what was going on and why I had zero output from my Adrenal Glands.  Finally, after several weeks my Adrenal Glands started to function again, but that also took any further LSB off the table for me.  At this point my PM Doctor increased my pain meds to keep me comfortable, and started talking to me about Spinal Cord Stimulators.  I bucked that as long as I could, because I had a really bad feeling about them.  He finally convinced me to do a trial... of which I did great.  Then we implanted a SCS and things went terribly wrong.  Every time I would charge my system my left foot (effected foot) would swell up 2-3x its normal size.  No one could figure this out.  Thus, they changed out the battery system.  Which meant another surgery, and yes the CRPS eventually moved into my back due to the SCS and the surgeries!  I went through 3 SCS, and with the last one it caused scar tissue to build up around the Dura of my Spine.  If left untreated, I would have been paralyzed from the waist down.  No one mentioned this possibility to me when we input the SCS! After having my Neurosurgeon research this I was told that this was a real phenomena that was happening with SCS and it was written up in some "Pain Journals".
 

Once the SCS was removed I was told there was nothing else that they could do for me except to keep me comfortable.  To me that was unacceptable.  I am not the type of person to give up and I certainly was not going to live with this debilitating pain for the rest of my life.  It had already taken too much from me!



In 2011 I started flying to Frankfurt, Germany for treatment.  Outside of the FDA's control, there are many different options to treat CRPS!  Plus, in Germany and parts of Europe they are doing many studies on CRPS that are NOT being done in the US.  I had Stem Cells implanted, utilizing my own blood!  Yes, that is done in Germany.  I was the first patient ever to utilize what they call Regional Hyperthermia; a treatment normally utilized on cancer patients; but they utilized it on the specific areas where my CRPS was (my left foot/ankle and back).  This produced a localized radio frequency that heats up the cells.  They used it in shorter durations, but higher kilojoules of energy on me.  This really helped to decrease my pain levels.  They also worked on increasing my immune system, they utilized Ozone via my blood, we did what they call Neuro Therapy, IPT, PK Protocol, Alpha Lipoic IVs, Myer's Cocktail IVs, Live Cell Therapy, etc...  Their protocols did work to decrease my pain levels better than any treatment that I ever received here in the United States.



Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get my pain levels down to a zero or to a point were I could live my life the way I wanted to.  Thus, I continued on with my search and my dedication to find a treatment options that would help me and possibly help other CRPS patients!



I was referred over to a gentleman in Clinton, TN by more than one person.  This person is Ron Eslinger!   He is a Master Hypnotherapist, retired Captain in the Navy, RN, CRNA, MA, APN, BCH, CMI, FNCH.  He is also the owner and founder of Healthy Visions in Clinton, Tennessee.  Ron has practiced clinical hypnosis professionally since 1978 and specializes in pain management.   That is an introduction for you to the person that I spent over 30 hours of treatment with in mid November, 2013.



I spoke with Ron several times prior to making the decision to fly back to TN from CA.  I wanted to make sure that it would be a right move for me and that I would know what I was doing.  Ron sent me information ahead of time, emailed me and he wanted to make sure that I was as ready and I did!

When I arrived in Clinton, TN - I had no idea what to think.  The first day I met with Ron I was very impressed.  We sat down to watch a segment of a video about how the brain functions, the different areas, how the nerves fire, it talked about the Hypothalamus, the cells, cell memory, synapses, etc...  This made me feel better, and that he did not think it was just in my head.  We spent time utilizing his expertise in hypnosis in pain management, bio-feedback, imagery, light/sound therapy, alpha/beta sound waves, etc...  He even picked up on the fact that I was suffering from PTSD from everything that I had been through with my CRPS.  None of my other doctors had picked up on that.  Ron utilized the tools he had and taught me to use his tools to help myself.  By the end of the 30+ hours of time with him and homework that I had done in my hotel room in the evenings... I came away with CD's of every session, the tools to keep my pain or as Ron says (my "Comfort Levels") down / or at a ZERO, the ability to put myself into hypnosis and my own light/sound therapy machine.  I have to let every CRPS / RSD patient know that this was the first type of treatment that allowed me to get my pain levels down to ZERO!  Plus, he, Ron, gave me the tools to keep them at a Zero.



I can not say enough about what he does, how he does it and the fact that very few CRPS patients ever look into this methodology to help their pain.  At this time Ron is one of the few people that does what he does, how he does it.  I am actually going back in April of 2014 to train under him to get certified, so that I too can help other CRPS patients. 



If you would like more information on any treatments in Germany or better yet treatments that deal with the combination of hypnosis, imagery, bio-feedback and Ron's method's - please contact me.  Or if you would prefer feel free to comment on the blog and I will get back to you.



My hope is to spread the news of new treatment options that are available for CRPS patients, so that don't have to feel that there is no hope.  If I can find a way to get my pain to a zero after being told that I had one of the worse cases ever seen, then anyone can do this!



I can be reached at: rsd.crpsforum@gmail.com.

Prolozone – Eliminating Pain for Chronic Pain Patients including CRPS…

What is Prolozone?

Prolozone is a technique that combines the principles of neural therapy, Prolotherapy, and ozone therapy.  It involves injecting combinations of procaine, anti-inflammatory medications, homeopathics, vitamins, proliferatives, and ozone/oxygen gas into areas of pain.  This article is meant as an informational piece only, to review the nature of what medical grade ozone is, how it works in biological systems, and how it can be used to help alleviate pain.  You can see more at:  http://www.journalofprolotherapy.com/index.php/prolozone-regenerating-joints-and-eliminating-pain/#sthash.ZEP9gFi6.dpuf

The result of this combination is nothing short of remarkable in that damaged tissue can be regenerated, and otherwise untreatable pain can be permanently cured according to the information in the Journal of Prolotherapy.  I want to provide readers and Chronic Pain suffers with insight into what Prolozone is, and how it works. 

Let’s start with ozone. 

 

OZONE = TRIATOMIC OXYGEN, Oxygen is an atom that cannot exist in a stabilized form as a single atom.  This is because it does not have enough electrons to balance it out.  So in order to provide stability, two oxygen atoms bond together in close proximity and share electrons.  This molecule, called O2, is what is generally referred to when the word “oxygen” is used. O2 is the stable form of oxygen that exists in the atmosphere.  When an energetic force, such as electricity (lightning) or ultra-violet light (solar exposure), is imposed upon a molecule of O2, the two oxygen atoms are temporarily split apart into single oxygen atoms.  Then in a matter of nanoseconds these highly unstable oxygen atoms will pair up again and reform back into O2 molecules.  But a small percentage of them will unite with a ménage-a-trio known as ozone.   Thus, ozone, referred to as O3, is a gaseous molecule which consists of three oxygen atoms all sharing the same electrons.  This is exactly what happens in a corona discharge generator.  Oxygen molecules go into the generator and are exposed to an electric spark.  What emerges from the other end is a mixture of oxygen and ozone.  The parameters of the generator can be set to produce a given amount of ozone in that mixture.  In clinical circumstances the concentration of ozone in the final gas mixture is between 1-3%.  In the therapeutic sections of this article the word “ozone” will be used to refer to the mixture of ozone and oxygen.  Ozone is a relatively unstable molecule.  This is because there just are not enough for two atoms, but not three.  This instability is exactly why ozone is so powerful – because it is driven to give off the extra oxygen atom so that it can be reduced to the stable O2 form.   This of course requires getting electrons, and the best place for a single oxygen atom to get an electron in a cellular environment is from a double bond found in lipids and amino acids.         

Prolozone History

In 1983 there was a four day training seminar in Germany on the use of ozone in medicine.  One of the things that was taught during this training was that ozone was very effective when injected into rheumatic joints.  Inflammation decreased, swelling decreased, and most importantly pain decreased.  How and why all this happened was not explained, but the procedure has been done for years, and several clinical studies had verified the effect.  As so often happens after we learn something, shortly after the seminar a patient with rheumatoid arthritis showed up at the clinic with severe inflammation and pain in both of her knees.  After explaining to her what had been learned, she consented, and she was injected in both of her knees with ozone gas.  The result was dramatic.  Within two days 75% of the pain and inflammation was gone.  But the case is only the beginning of the story.  The following week a neighbor of this patient came into the clinic asking to have her right knee injected with “the same thing you gave my neighbor.”  Only this patient did not have an inflammatory condition.  She had an osteoarthritic knee that she had been suffering with for several years.  It was explained to her that treating an inflamed joint was very much different from treating a degenerated joint, and although her neighbor had good results, it was not known if the treatment would be helpful in her particular case.  She was told that from the information that was available, no one had reported any success in treating degenerative conditions with ozone.  Then she asked, “Well will it make me any worse?  I can hardly walk as it is.  They already want me to have a total knee replacement.  What harm could it do to try?”  She was right.  One week later she was 20% better, and then further treatments were set up. 

 

How Does Prolozone Work?

If Prolozone is not working simply as another form of Prolotherapy, how is it working?  Prolozone works by improving oxygen utilization in a localized are of damaged connective tissue, allowing it to heal, and to restore full function.

 

Other Localized Effects of Ozone:

As a powerful oxidizing agent, ozone has several other effects that are important for tissue repair and regeneration.  One is by stimulating growth factor production and release.  One paper published in 1996 examined the critical role that protein tyrosine phosphorylation events play in proliferation and differentiation.  The authors determined that oxidizing agents “stimulate growth response events in vascular smooth muscle cells,” and also “stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins including epidermal growth factor receptor.”  The stimulation of growth factors, especially endothelial factors are important for tissue regeneration to occur.

But ozone therapy can do more than just stimulate growth factor production and release.  It also activates the membrane receptors through which growth factors exert their effects.  For example, a paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry established a novel role for the mitochondrion as a proximal target specific to oxidant induced signaling and growth factor transactivation.

And finally, there is evidence that ozone therapy can mediate the effects on the various growth factors.  A recent 2005 paper entitle, “NAD(P)H Oxidase 4 Mediates Transforming Growth Factor-ß1–Induced Differentiation of Cardiac Fibroblasts Into Myofibroblasts,” describes how oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) induces circulating fibroblasts into repairing damaged cardiac tissue.  NAD activity is enhanced by ozone therapy because it increases the NAD/NADH ratio.

In layman’s terms ozone therapy has the ability to repair tissue, assisting with regeneration of damaged tissue, and it can help decrease inflammation.  Combine this with the traditional Prolotherapy to get Prolozone and you have a product that can in effect help to substantially reduce or eliminate pain for Chronic Pain patients or CRPS / RSD patients.  Personally I think this is something that needs more research for CRPS patients and it has viability to be a real options for patients dealing with CRPS, RSD, and Chronic Pain!

 

If you have questions please feel free to post any questions or comments back on this blog, or you can contact me directly at rsd.crpsforum@gmail.com. 

Do Most Doctors Know How to Treat CRPS?

Many patients that have the signs and / or the symptoms of CRPS or RSD go un diagnosed sometimes for months, and other times it can go on for several years!  I would think with all of the diagnostic tools that we have today that it would be a much more advanced process than what patients currently have to go through.



Some patients will see upwards of 100 doctors prior to being properly diagnosed.  That is unacceptable in this century of medical advances.


The problem lays in that there is very little funding going towards Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.  In the United States the majority of the funding is going towards Cancer research, M.S. research, Leukemia and other similar diseases. Yes, these are tragic,  life threatening diseases, but what about the additional funding that is drastically needed for the proper diagnosis and treatment of CRPS / RSD.



It is great that someone is doing research, it is just too bad that it is not in our country. Europe, including London, Germany and Sweden are doing some great research projects to find protocols and medications to treat CRPS and RSD.


Here in the U.S. most physicians that do diagnose and treat these syndromes are Pain Management Doctors.  Unfortunately, the majority of the other doctors either don't know enough about it to diagnosis it, how to treat it or what to do about the syndrome(s).  This is very unfortunate because the longer it takes to diagnose this condition the worse it will become, and as some have said, "If it goes undiagnosed CRPS/RSD can ruin your life - alter the way you do things for the rest of you life.  It will turn your life upside down if left un-attended to and/or un-treated."



Most phsycians in the U.S. want to start with a quick overview, then come up with a treatment plan that includes a variety of medications, possibly a variety of treatments to include Local Blocks, Regional Blocks, Ganglion Block or Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks, Spinal Cord Stimulators, etc...   Where as the doctors in other countries have had success with with some Integrated Medicine protocols, Homeopathic Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy, etc...



Unfortunately,  whether it is traditional physicians or working with Integrative physicians at some point depending on whether your case is making progress, some physicians will get so frustrated that they will not know what to do next... That is the point that they may tell you that they are not sure what else that they can do for you and they are getting frustrated with the case.



It is important that if your physician (s) tell you this that you stand up for yourself.  Find out why they feel that way.  Have a conversation to see if there is anything that you can do or if there are any misunderstandings.  Communication is the name of the game when it comes to your health and ensuring you are getting the best possible treatment possible.



It is hard with this condition because there are so many unknowns.  This is why it is so important to be the most informed patient as possible.  This helps you foremost, and it can help you physician too.

Do not be afraid to speak up, if you don't agree with something then speak your mind.  You have to be your own advocate or no one else will!


For more information feel free to contact me at: rsd.crpsforum@gmail.com.

You can also leave a comment on the blog and I am always happy to answer them.

CRPS Associated with Sleep Disturbances

Chronic pain including CRPS/RSD has become the most common reason for outpatient medical visits. Treatment of chronic pain syndromes (CRPS) and the habitual use/need of opioids have dramatically increased in the past 2 decades. Between 1990 and 1996, the long-term use of oxycodone increased by 23%, hydromorphone use increased by 19%, morphine use increased by 59%, and the use of fentanyl increased 1168%.  This dramatic rise in habitual narcotic use has continued, and the long-term use of opioids more than doubled from 2000-2008.

A bidirectional relationship exists between pain (CRPS patients) and sleep disturbances.  Pain from CRPS fragments sleep continuity, impairs sleep quality, and disrupts normal sleep architecture. Reciprocally, poor quality or insufficient quality of sleep may decrease the pain threshold, impair recovery from injuries, or further exacerbate the pain response.  Thus, as you can see the disturbance in sleep for a CRPS patient or any Chronic Pain patient produces a harmful pattern that only perpetuates the pain cycle.

Painful stimuli produce microarousals, which disrupt sleep continuity and alter normal sleep. Chronic pain or CRPS is associated with increased high frequency EEG activity and a decrease in slow frequency EEG activity. Furthermore, CRPS is associated with the appearance of alpha waves superimposed on slower EEG frequencies, or "alpha-delta" sleep.  In short, pain produces a state of shallow sleep while disrupting restorative slow-wave sleep.

Information from Industry

An estimated 28 million Americans have sleep complaints due to chronic pain syndromes, including CRPS. Among patients with chronic pain, more than 50% experience sleep disturbances, some reports say as many as 70%-88% of patients with CRPS report sleep trouble.  Sleep disturbance shows an independent and linear correlation with pain severity, even after controlling for health measures and sleep habits.

Sleep complaints portend worse outcomes among those with chronic pain or CRPS.  Compared with patients who have no sleep complaints, patients with chronic pain - CRPS and insomnia report poorer quality-of-life indices and have increased healthcare utilization.

In patients with CRPS/RSD, complaints of poor sleep quality and fatigue are just as prominent as complaints of pain.  Similar to other conditions, sleep quality and the pain response share a reciprocal cause-and-effect relationship. Among patients with CRPS/RSD, a poor night's sleep predicts more pain the next day, and more pain predicts greater sleep impairment that night.  Patients with CRPS/RSD frequently experience nonrestorative sleep and alpha-wave intrusions are commonly observed during polysomnography. The prevalence of insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and hypersomnia are higher among patients with CRPS/RSD than within the general population.  Similarly, OSA is significantly more common, with observed rates of 46%-80% reported among patients with CRPS.

Conclusions

CRPS and disrupted sleep are commonly associated, and they share a clear cause-and-effect relationship. Pain fragments sleep, and poor sleep worsens the pain response. The prevalence of sleep disorders and the number of patients experiencing chronic pain continue to increase. Finally, pain and sleep disorders are among the most common reason for medical care. It is important to understand these conditions and appreciate the intimate relationship they share.

It seems clear that long-term narcotic use causes, precipitates, or exacerbates sleep-disordered breathing; as the use of these agents continues to grow, so will the number of individuals with opioid-induced apnea. Prompt recognition and appropriate treatment will probably improve outcomes and quality of life. It may also reduce overall healthcare utilization and aid in controlling pain.

Unfortunately, until there is a true treatment to put CRPS into remission, there will be a need for opioids or some type of medications to assist CRPS patients deal with the unrelenting pain they dealing with on a continual basis.  If your sleep is continuing to get worse please speak with your physician to ensure that you’re not dealing with “Opioid Sleep Apnea”.

Please feel free to contact me for additional information on CRPS / RSD at rsd.crpsforum@gmail.com, or feel free to leave a message here on the blog!

Treatment options for CRPS / RSD patients...

There are many treatments available depending on whether you are being treating with Traditional Medicine, or Integrated Medicine also called Complementary Medicine.

Most patients that are diagnosed with CRPS or RSD do start out with Traditional Medicine as that is the normal routine that they are accustom to.  Depending on how long it took you to get your diagnosis, how far along your CRPS / RSD is, and to what degree it had already started to attack your body / nervous system… This will set the tone for how aggressive your doctor is to start with. 

Most Pain Management doctors understand this condition and understand how important it is to get ahead of it before it has a chance to move, mirror to other limbs or cause further damage to the affected area(s).

Some of the Traditional Treatment may include the following:

·         Physical and/or Occupational Therapy

·         Medications to help calm down the nerves and assist with sleep

·         Local Blocks

·         Regional Blocks

·         Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks (Ganglion Blocks)

·         Spinal Cord Stimulator

·         Intrathecal Pumps / Drug Delivery system for Chronic Pain patients

For some patients these treatments work and for a larger majority of the patients the above list of treatment options still leaves them with living with the unrelenting pain of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome!  More and more patients, family members, spouses and loved ones are asking the same questions… Isn’t there anything else out there that can help break the pain cycle or help relieve the pain?

The answer is yes.  If you are willing to look outside of the box to Integrated Medicine or Complementary Medicine then you will find more options that are available to you!  At this time there is very little research going on for CRPS or RSD in the United States.   Yet, if you look at Germany and parts of Europe, and they are doing more and more research into these diseases / syndromes.

Going outside of the United States, I have found the following treatment option available for CRPS / RSD.  Unfortunately, the FDA will now allow the majority of these treatments in the United States.  Thus, I had to fly to Frankfurt, Germany on three occasions for treatments and most recently have gone to one of their sister facilities in Mexico for further treatment.

·         Neural Therapy (utilizing Procaine and Ozone in the affected areas)

·         Blood Ozone Therapy (Having Ozone mixed in with your own blood and then put back into your body)

·         Alpha Lipoic IV’s  (This helps the nerves)

·         Lymphatic Massages

·         Ozone tent around the affect limb

·         GcMAF (an injectable drug to increase to immune system)

·         Stem Cell Therapy (utilizing my own blood/stem cells)

·         Thymus Cell Extract

·         Rife

·         Acuscope

·         Biotron

·         Hyperthermia (I was the first CRPS / RSD patient is the world to receive Regional Hyperthermia)

·         Procaine IVs

·         Ozone & Procaine IVs

·         HBOT

·         Homeopathic Medicine

·         Meditation

·         Hypnosis

 

I have to encourage anyone that has CRPS or RSD not to give up.  I know there are days that can be absolutely unbearable, but there is an old adage out there – where there is a will there is a way.  I know it is easier said than done one some days… 

Don’t be afraid to question your doctors, ask for their help and if they say they have nothing else to offer you than to keep you comfortable on medications then it is time to start looking outside the box!

If you have any questions regard any of these treatments or just have general questions regarding CRPS please feel free to post on here or send me an email to: rsd.crpsforum@gmail.com.