Persistent and amplified pain syndromes are conditions where kids have pain that lasts longer or feels stronger than it should. This happen when there's no injury or illness to cause them. The nervous system becomes too sensitive. Even normal touch or movement is painful.

These conditions are real and can really hurt a child’s daily life.

Symptoms may include:

• Pain that lasts for weeks or months
• Pain that feels worse than normal
• Swelling, temperature or color changes around the pain area
• Low energy or feeling tired
• Trouble sleeping
• Changes in mood, such as anxiety or sadness
• Avoiding activities like playing, walking or going to school

There are many different types of persistent and amplified pain syndromes that impact kids. Where and how the pain shows up can be different.

Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome

Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS) happens when the pain signals in the nervous system get too strong. This makes normal touch feel painful. Kids may feel pain in one area or all over their muscles, joints or limbs. Stress, illness or minor injury often lead to AMPS.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a long-lasting pain condition that normally shows up in one limb. It can happen after an injury or surgery. There is normally swelling, color or temperature changes near the area of pain.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia causes pain all over the body. There is also sleepiness, sleep problems and trouble paying attention. It’s more common in teens and often connected to how the brain reads the pain. The pain is real, even though tests may come back normal.

Central Sensitization

Central sensitization happens when the brain and spinal cord overreact to normal touch or movement. This causes the body to feel more pain than it should.

Central sensitization can play a role in chronic pain conditions, including:

• CRPS
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic headaches
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Persistent musculoskeletal pain

Treatment for persistent and amplified pain syndromes can help kids get back to their lives. Treatment teaches the body and brain how to react to pain.

Integrated Healing Program

Our Integrated Healing Program helps teens with serious pain and other disorders. We offer this rehab program with Rogers Behavioral Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin. This outpatient program treats teens’ physical, emotional and social needs.

Core Treatments

These treatments are important for kids with chronic and heightened pain syndromes:

• Physical therapy: This helps restore movement, reduce pain sensitivity and build strength. It is often done daily.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy: This supports emotional strength. It helps reduce fear of pain. It also works on anxiety, depression or pain-related stress.

Additional Approaches

Extra treatments can help your child feel better.

These include:

• Biofeedback: This helps kids learn to control how their body reacts to stress. Keeping their heart rate or muscle tension under control can manage pain.
• Graded motor imagery and mirror therapy: This retrains how the brain sees and moves the body. This is helpful for limb pain or movement problems like CRPS.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): This gives short-term pain relief. It uses an electric current to stimulate the nerves during physical therapy or at home.
• Desensitization techniques: This involves slow exposure to touch, movement or sensation. It helps reduce the extra sensitivity in impacted areas.
• Medicine: Doctors sometimes prescribe medicine for sleep problems or pain control. It is not usually a first-line treatment and needs to be closely watched by your child’s doctor.