Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome
Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) is a condition in which your body experiences pain that is more intense than what would normally be expected. AMPS is seen in 2-6% of school aged children and can affect a child’s ability to learn, move, and participate with peers (1). AMPS can be caused from a previous injury, illness, or even from psychological stress. The pain experienced can be constant, intermittent, and can affect either one area or the whole body. Individuals with AMPS may also experience things such as swelling in the area, decreased blood flow to the area of injury, or even difficulty with concentrating because of the pain. Individuals with AMPS may experience frustration with their diagnosis and may feel as though they don’t know what steps to take to get better.
At Reach for Speech we can be part of your first steps to helping address AMPS. Treatment for AMPS includes exercise, desensitization therapies, and stress management. At Reach for Speech our physical therapists and occupational therapists provide a team approach to help individual’s address impaired function due to AMPS. Therapists work to help individual’s break the chronic pain cycle that their body is experiencing. In addition, therapists empower individuals to help take control over their diagnosis and reach their own personal goals.
For more information about AMPS visit: Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (chop.edu)
Resources:
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (2018). Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes: Assessment and Intervention Strategies for Child and Adolescent Patients (Lecture notes). Philadelphia, PA.
Written by: Physical Therapy Department