AMPS Treatment
Read on to learn more about brain mapping for AMPS treatment and how it can help patients with the condition.
Table of Contents
What is Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome?
Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS) is a medical condition characterized by chronic and non-inflammatory pain that is often present in the muscle, joints, and bones.1 If you have AMPS syndrome, you may experience pain without any discernible cause. Over time, a person may also experience increasing AMPS symptoms if not treated.2
Amplified muscular pain syndrome is often used interchangeably with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), but CRPS is a category of AMPS pain that is localized to specific parts of the body. AMPS also mostly affects children as opposed to teenagers or adults.3
How Does AMPS Occur?
Pain is usually your body’s response to tissue damage. When a person has an injury, for example, the signal is transmitted through the pain receptors to the spinal cord. From the spinal cord, the signal is transmitted to the brain where it is interpreted as pain that we then feel and experience.
In AMPS, the pain signals travel directly to the brain and the nerves that control blood flow through the blood vessels. This leads the brain’s pain receptors to be “turned on” even when the patient does not have a reason to be experiencing pain. Several biological processes happen that cause an amplification or increase in pain felt by the sufferer.
Factors That Can Lead To AMPS
Currently, experts aren’t exactly sure of the causes that lead to AMPS disorder. Recent research, however, has shown that AMPS is a result of over-amplification of the pain signal by the nervous system. The three major causes of pain that can lead to amplified pain syndrome in adults and children are injury, illness, and psychological stress.
Signs and Symptoms of AMPS
Several different things put someone at risk of struggling with suicide ideation. Being aware of these risk factors is important to help others find help when they need it.
- Impaired muscle endurance and weakness
- Poor cardiopulmonary (aerobic) endurance
- Poor posture
- Decreased function
- Skin changes, such as swelling, temperature, or color changes
- Elevated heart rate or blood pressure
- Problems with balance or walking due to pain and lack of activity
How is Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome in Children Diagnosed?
Children suffering from AMPS disorder may not have obvious physical symptoms. However, they may complain of localized or generalized pain in the joints, muscles, and bones.
AMPS disorder can be diagnosed in children by carefully listening and examining the child’s history, both emotional and physical. Amplified pain syndrome in adults is diagnosed in the same way.
What Kind of Testing Is Involved?
There are no tests for AMPS syndrome in kids. Bone scans and MRIs may be employed to show abnormalities that may suggest AMPS. However, these types of tests are not always reliable. Blood tests will also give normal results unless there’s an underlying condition.
Complications
If a person doesn’t feel supported at home, work, or school, or they don’t have a friend group, it might be tougher to identify if they’re struggling with suicidal ideation. Usually, a person will cry out for help in non-obvious ways. If a person isn’t willing to ask tough questions, it could be tragic.
How Can Physical Therapy Help with AMPS?
The treatment of AMPS is usually a collaborative effort involving physicians and psychological and physical therapists. The goal is to end the pain cycle and improve the overall quality of life.
AMPS physical therapy helps the brain to shift its focus from pain to other beneficial functions. It also teaches ways to manage stress and helps with desensitization. The physical therapist will collaborate with other healthcare providers to ensure proper and comprehensive treatment.
A treatment plan tailored to each patient’s needs will be created. The plan may include exercise to help one learn how to move without pain, relaxation techniques to help the patient manage stress, and mindfulness training.
How is Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome in Children Treated?
A team of doctors, psychologists, and therapists is usually involved in treating AMPS in children. The treatment may last several weeks, depending on the child’s level of pain and needs. Treating AMPS syndrome in children may include the following:
- Exercise
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy4
- Selected medications
- Psychological counseling
- Music therapy to help the child relax
- Wellness treatments, including biofeedback, meditation, and mind-body skills
- Desensitization
You can also fight pain amplification syndrome from the inside out by planning an “amplified pain syndrome diet.” Your amplified pain syndrome diet should include green leafy vegetables, fatty fish like salmon, fruits like blueberries, and olive oil.5
How To Prevent Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome?
Owing to the fact there are no exact causes of pain amplification syndrome, preventing it remains an elusive goal. Although you can strive to practice a healthy lifestyle to prevent chronic pain, there is currently no proof of the effectiveness in preventing AMPS.6
AMPS may be caused by injury, illness, and psychological stress as discussed above. Preventing AMPS may also involve effectively treating and managing these conditions. Although these are good practices, such as adopting a healthy lifestyle, methods to mix crypto and treating injuries, no evidence suggests they are effective in preventing AMPS.
What is the Prognosis for Those Who Have AMPS?
The outlook or prognosis for AMPS depends on each patient, along with what treatments they are offered by AMPS treatment centers. In a study conducted at inpatient AMPS treatment centers, 5% of patients saw no pain improvement while 95% reported significant improvements.
Conclusively, the AMPS outlook is geared towards improvement and recovery under intensive treatment, including AMPS occupational therapy.
Get Treatment For Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome at J. Flowers Health Institute
J. Flowers Health Institute offers different programs, including AMPS treatment programs aimed at restoring patients’ mental and physical health.
Our AMPS program features brain mapping for AMPS treatment, which involves techniques and tools used to study brain structure and functioning. With this information, our qualified psychologists and physicians can provide a personalized effective treatment plan for the best results.
Contact us now to learn more about our AMPS program. We will be with you or your loved one every step of the way to help manage pain and any other symptoms that arise.
Resources
- https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/18/5/825/2924755
- https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Amplified-Musculoskeletal-Pain-Syndrome-AMPS
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10782856/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34970973/
- https://www.iasp-pain.org/resources/fact-sheets/preventing-pain-an-introduction/
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