Latest news with #CRPS
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
My doctor used a dirty needle during common procedure - it left me with agonising 'suicide disease'
A former primary school teacher has been left with a rare condition dubbed 'suicide disease' after a doctor re-used a dirty needle during a common procedure. Amy Pohl, now 32, from Warwickshire, visited her GP for help with a cough that doctors suspected was a respiratory infection, and referred her to the local hospital. Ms Pohl should have made a full recovery following a course of steroids to help reduce the swelling in her airways. However, the hospital medic failed to properly insert a cannula—a thin tube inserted into the vein to administer the medication— leading to an infection. The infection was supposedly caused by a doctor incorrectly using the same needle in both her arms, without properly sterilising the skin, after numerous failed attempts to insert the tube. Ms Pohl believes this infection eventually triggered a debilitating condition that causes agonising pain in the limbs. Called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), the problem is the body's over-reaction to an injury, and can also cause the hands, feet and legs to seize up and become extremely swollen. The medics' oversight left Ms Pohl partially paralysed and in excruciating pain. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amy Pohl (@amy_pohl) CRPS is dubbed suicide disease because of how many sufferers take their life after developing the condition. Ms Pohl said the excruciating pain she endured felt like she was being 'stabbed by a hundred shards of burning glass', as doctors scrambled for answers. Recalling the initial problem that led her to seek help in November 2017, Ms Pohl said she put her sore throat down to end of term exhaustion. But a GP eventually diagnosed croup—an infection that usually affects children, causing a distinct 'barking' cough. Croup is usually caused by a contagious virus such as parainfluenza, which is spread through contaminated air droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. When Ms Pohl arrived at hospital, doctors performed an endoscopy—where a camera is passed up the nose and down the throat—to better visualise the harm caused by the infection. Unfortunately Ms Pohl suffered a severe allergic reaction to the anesthetising spray they had used to numb the area, which led to an admission to a high dependency unit. Not long after her admission, Ms Pohl said her doctor attempted to insert a cannula into her arm to administer medication directly into her bloodstream to treat the infection. 'The doctor only brought one cannula into the room,' Ms Pohl recalled in a YouTube video. 'He put the needle into my arm and then without cleaning the skin or the needle he tried my wrist. 'His whole mask was steaming up and my dad said to him "shouldn't you be using a new needle?" He shouted at my dad and told him to leave the room. 'Then he went over to the other arm and that's when he put it into my hand. And he tried and tried and tried. Because of all that, I developed an infection.' 'The chance of someone getting an infection if a needle is reused in their own body is really slim', she said, 'but it happens that I was that one in a million'. Ms Pohl's hand and wrist then began to swell. The pain got so bad that it would radiate up her arm and into her abdomen, stopping her from eating. Unbeknown to both her and her doctors at the time, she was experiencing the onset of CRPS. According to the NHS, the skin of the affected body part can become so sensitive that even a slight touch or change in temperature can cause intense pain. Affected areas can also become swollen, stiff or undergo fluctuating changes in colour or temperature. 'No matter how many weeks went by after the surgeries, my hand was just getting worse not better,' Ms Pohl recalled in an Instagram video. Ms Pohl eventually diagnosed with CRPS in 2018 and has since been campaigning on social media to raise better awareness for the condition, resolved to 'stop fighting [herself] and start fighting for [herself]'. The content creator, who has 3.7million followers on TikTok now makes upbeat videos about her diagnoses, in a bid to spread awareness about the dangers of re-using needles. Through an extensive physiotherapy regime, Ms Pohl now has a better range of movement in her hand and wrist, and is starting to gain back her independence. According to the NHS, while the condition is usually triggered by an injury, the resulting pain can last for years. In addition to chronic pain, CRPS can also cause a range of other symptoms including strange sensations in the affected limb—almost as if it doesn't belong to the rest of the body—joint stiffness and swelling, tremors and muscle spasms and insomnia. In some cases, it can even cause the muscles to waste away, restricting suffers range of movement until they can no longer live unassisted. The prevalence of the condition is still unclear, however it is estimated that up to 3,800 people in the UK develop CRPS each year.
Time Business News
11-06-2025
- Health
- Time Business News
CRPS: Understanding & Managing Chronic Pain Early
CRPS, which stands for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, is a confusing and frustrating condition. It doesn't receive much focus, but it leads to a lot of pain and disruption for those who have it. Many times, CRPS starts after an injury, even if it's just a sprain or a tiny fracture. However, the body's reaction is not what is expected. Pain intensifies. Swelling lingers. Moving the body gets very hard or stops altogether. A major problem with CRPS is that it touches both the mind and the body. Chronic pain can hurt someone's mental health. Simple tasks like dressing, walking the dog, or typing on a keyboard now seem too hard or are no longer possible. You may feel more isolated when people don't understand what you're going through. People living with CRPS may start to feel that they have lost their identity. That feeling of being weighed down is very real. Anxiety can be something you feel all the time. After months or years of suffering, depression can start to affect a person. Having these emotions is normal, as illnesses often change everything in your lives. CRPS can be tricky to diagnose because it doesn't show up in standard tests like blood work or basic X-rays. Often, it's a diagnosis that comes after other causes have been ruled out. And because it isn't visible in the same way a broken bone is, it may be dismissed early on. Some people are told their symptoms are 'in their head' or just exaggerated. That kind of misunderstanding can delay treatment and cause deeper harm. Doctors who are familiar with CRPS rely on the patient's history and symptoms to diagnose it. Swelling, changes in skin color or temperature, and continuous, intense pain that seems out of proportion to the injury are key signs. Early diagnosis makes a real difference. The sooner CRPS is identified, the better the chances of slowing it down. Though there is no cure, taking action early can reduce the long-term effects. One of the first steps is finding the right medical team. Pain specialists, physical therapists, and neurologists can work together to create a treatment plan. Medication may help with nerve pain. Physical therapy can keep the affected limb moving. Occupational therapy can make daily activities easier again. Movement is important. As painful as it may be, staying active, within safe limits, can prevent further deterioration. Gentle exercises, guided by professionals, can prevent muscles and joints from stiffening permanently. Some patients find relief with alternative therapies. Mirror therapy, for instance, uses visual tricks to retrain the brain. Others may explore acupuncture, meditation, or biofeedback to manage symptoms. While these approaches don't cure CRPS, they can give people a greater sense of control. It's also worth paying attention to mental health. Counseling, support groups, and mindfulness techniques help many people cope. Talking to someone who understands the emotional side of chronic pain can be a powerful form of healing. CRPS can come with challenges that go far beyond the physical symptoms. The cost of treatments, time away from work, and the emotional strain of living with chronic pain can pile up. If the condition was caused by an accident, especially one involving negligence, there may be a path to compensation. Those living in areas with specialized legal resources may consider speaking with an attorney. For example, if you reside in the area, a California CRPS lawyer may be familiar with the condition and can help guide you through your options. They understand the depth of CRPS and how it affects every part of life, making it easier to present a clear case. Legal action won't erase the pain, but it can offer some peace of mind. Financial relief may help cover medical bills or replace lost income. More importantly, it can offer a sense of justice, something that matters when you've endured an experience that few truly understand. CRPS is undeniably hard to live with. It doesn't follow a predictable course, and recovery isn't always quick or complete. But people do find ways to live full lives despite it. Education is key. When people understand what CRPS is, they're better equipped to support someone who lives with it. And for those newly diagnosed, learning more can help them take an active role in their care. READ ALSO: Escape from Abuse: When Changing an Identity Saves a Life TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Medscape
11-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Gut Microbiome Changes in Chronic Pain — Test and Treat?
A new study adds to what has been emerging in the literature — namely that there appear to be gut microbiome 'signatures' for various pain conditions — suggesting that microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics may one day be routine for a broad range of pain conditions. 'There is now a whole list of pain conditions that appear to have these signatures, including postoperative pain, arthritis, neuropathy and migraine to name a few,' Robert Bonakdar, MD, director of pain management, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, San Diego, told Medscape Medical News . Fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) are also on the list. A team led by Amir Minerbi, MD, PhD, director of the Institute for Pain Medicine, Haifa, Israel, and colleagues published one of the first articles on gut changes in fibromyalgia. They noted that the gut microbiome could be utilized to determine which individuals had the condition and which did not — with about a 90% accuracy. The team went on to show that transplanting gut microbiota from patients with fibromyalgia into germ-free mice was sufficient to induce pain-like behaviors in the animals — 'effects that were reversed when healthy human microbiota were transplanted instead,' Minerbi told Medscape Medical News . Further, in a pilot clinical study, the researchers showed that transplanting microbiota from healthy donors led to a reduction in pain and other symptoms in women with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia. Most recently, they found significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiome in a cohort of patients with CRPS from Israel, compared to matched pain-free control individuals. Notably, two species — Dialister succinatiphilus and Phascolarctobacterium faecium – were enriched in patients with CRPS, while three species — Ligilactobacillus salivarius, Bifidobacterium dentium, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis – were increased in control samples, according to their report published last month in Anesthesiology . 'Importantly,' these findings were replicated in an independent cohort of patients with CRPS from Canada, 'suggesting that the observed microbiome signature is robust and consistent across different environments,' Minerbi told Medscape Medical News. Causal Role? 'These findings collectively suggest a causal role for the gut microbiome in at least some chronic pain conditions,' Minerbi said. However, the co-authors of a linked editorial cautioned that it's 'unclear if D succinatiphilus or P faecium are functionally relevant to CRPS pathophysiology or if the bacteria increased in healthy control samples protect against CRPS development.' Minerbi and colleagues also observed that fecal concentrations of all measured short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in patients with CRPS were lower on average compared to pain-free control individuals, of which butyric, hexanoic, and valeric acid showed significant depletion. Additionally, plasma concentrations of acetic acid showed significant depletion in patients with CRPS vs control individuals, while propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate and 2-methyl-butyric acid showed a trend toward lower concentrations. The quantification of SCFA in patient stool and serum is a 'notable advance' in this study, Zulmary Manjarres, PhD; Ashley Plumb, PhD; and Katelyn Sadler, PhD; with the Center for Advanced Pain Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas, wrote in their editorial. SCFA are produced by bacteria as a byproduct of dietary fiber fermentation and appropriate levels of these compounds are important to maintain low levels of inflammation in the colon and overall gut health, they explained. This begs the question of whether administering probiotic bacteria — many of which are believed to exert health benefits through SCFA production — can be used to treat CRPS-associated pain. It's something that needs to be studied, the editorialists wrote. Yet, in their view, the 'most notable achievement' of Minerbi and colleagues is the development of a machine learning model that accurately, specifically and sensitively categorized individuals as patients with CRPS or control individuals based on their fecal microbiome signature. The model, trained on exact sequence variant data from the Israeli patients, achieved 89.5% accuracy, 90.0% sensitivity, and 88.9% specificity in distinguishing patients with CRPS from control individuals in the Canadian cohort. Interestingly, in three patients with CRPS who underwent limb amputation and recovered from their pain, their gut microbiome signature remained unchanged , suggesting that microbiome alterations might precede or persist beyond symptomatic phases. Test and Treat: Are We There Yet? The gut microbiome link to chronic pain syndromes is a hot area of research, but for now gut microbial testing followed by treatment aimed at 'fixing' the microbiome remains largely experimental. At this point, comprehensive gut-microbiome sequencing is not a routine, guideline-supported part of care for fibromyalgia or any chronic pain condition. 'Unfortunately, even for doctors interested in this area, we are not quite at the state of being able to diagnose and treat pain syndrome based on microbiome data,' Bonakdar told Medscape Medical News . He said there are many reasons for this including that this type of microbiome analysis is not commonly available at a routine lab. If patients do obtain testing, then the results are quite complex and may not translate to a diagnosis or a simple microbiome intervention. 'I think the closest option we have now is considering supplementing with commonly beneficial probiotic in pain conditions,' Bonakdar said. One example is a preliminary fibromyalgia trial which found that supplementing with Lactobacillus , Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii appeared to have benefit. 'Unfortunately, this is hit or miss as other trials such as one in low back pain did not find benefit,' Bonakdar said. Addressing gut microbiome changes will become 'more actionable when microbiome analysis is more commonplace as well as is the ability to tailor treatment to the abnormalities seen on testing in a real-world manner,' Bonakdar said. 'Until then, there is no harm in promoting an anti-inflammatory diet for our patients with pain which we know can improve components of the microbiome while also supporting pain management,' he concluded.
Calgary Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Indigenous Services Canada renews commitment to fully fund Stoney Nakoda students attending Canadian Rockies school
A 'renewed commitment' from Indigenous Services Canada has resolved a funding issue that had threatened to halve the number of Stoney Nakoda Nation students able to attend a school in the Canadian Rockies school division. Article content Article content Without full and sustained funding from the ISC, the Canadian Rockies Public Schools board of trustees had made the 'difficult decision' April 30 to cut about 150 seats — from the current 306 — dedicated to Stoney Nakoda Nation students beginning in September, a decision that would have affected students at the kindergarten to Grade 8 Exshaw School. The Canmore-based school division had warned that further reductions were possible in future years unless the situation was resolved. Article content Article content But a Wednesday news release announced that Stoney Nakoda Nation students will continue to have access to Exshaw School, due to ISC committing to fully fund 'into the foreseeable future' an educational services agreement between the school division and Stoney Education Authority, which is responsible for administering the funding received from the federal government. Article content Article content All tuition costs for Stoney Nakoda Nation students attending CRPS will now be provided at the start of the federal government's fiscal year on April 1, providing 'much-needed consistency and reliability to support uninterrupted educational services.' Article content 'This is the news our families, staff, board, and community have been hoping for,' said Canadian Rockies Public Schools superintendent Christopher MacPhee in a Wednesday statement. Article content 'Our students and staff deserve stability, and this new commitment gives us the ability to move forward.' Article content Partnership successful, but financial uncertainty remains Article content Article content CRPS says its partnership with Stoney Education Authority stretches back over 50 years, supporting students in Exshaw, about 75 kilometres west of Calgary, and Canmore, and achieving graduation rates among Indigenous students that exceeded provincial averages. Last year, 84 per cent of Stoney Nakoda Nation students attending Canmore Collegiate High School graduated within five years, a significantly higher rate than the Alberta average of 69.4 per cent, said Canadian Rockies in an April 30 news release. Article content Article content 'CRPS' model of service to Indigenous students had been cited by ISC itself as an example for other divisions to follow,' it said. Article content Despite the ISC's new commitment, MacPhee said financial uncertainty remains. That's due to the school division having no direct funding relationship with ISC, leaving the division with 'limited ability to respond to unforeseen changes — as was experienced earlier this year when federal monies were delayed for the 2024/25 school year.'
Hamilton Spectator
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘True, honest voices': Banff students create song dedicated to G7 Summit leaders
BANFF – The voices of more than 300 Banff Elementary School students rang loud and clear as students performed the official recording of a heartfelt song that will be presented to G7 Summit leaders. In collaboration with Banff's poet laureate, Heather Jean Jordan, kindergarten to Grade 8 Banff Elementary School students spent a week creating a song that expresses their hopes and concerns for the future to leaders on a global stage. 'They were very excited to share the kind of world they want to see with leaders where they could affect real change,' said Jordan of the Monday (May 5) performance. Filmed by local videographer Brian White, a final music video showcasing the student's performance will be shared on Canadian Rockies Public School (CRPS) platforms and eventually presented to G7 Summit leaders. 'Something that was very important to me, and I think to the project in general, was that everyone felt like they had a chance to have their voice heard,' said Jordan. 'This song should reflect them.' With the initial idea of creating a poetry book with each class, the project evolved into an initiative that brought together the entire student body to create one song, according to Jordan. She then met with each grade, guiding students through the process of writing lyrics, rhyming words, composing music and expressing how they felt about current global challenges. 'I asked them … what things they thought were working in their world, what things they wanted to see change and what things were most important to them.' Bringing the project to life during election week, many local and global issues were top of mind for students. 'At the end of the week, that's when the kids started going, 'Wait, so Donald Trump is going to hear this? So, the prime minister of Canada is going to hear this?'' said Jordan. Working with students to discuss themes they wanted incorporated into the song, Jordan said it became clear that wildfires and the environment were issues that hit close to home for many. On a global scale, students shared concerns about caring for people in other countries and addressing poverty. 'They were thinking globally because they knew they had a chance to have the ear of very powerful leaders,' said Jordan. Students voted on the song's official title 'A Single Seed,' which references a line from the song: 'The mightiest forest begins with a single seed,' according to Jordan. As they shared concerns, Jordan also prompted students to come up with possible solutions. 'I was impressed by how open the kids really were. I was asking them questions that speak to the heart, and they shared,' she said. 'We couldn't have written a great song without them really digging deep there.' Tailoring the process based on the kids' age groups, Jordan tasked younger grades with coming up with rhyming words while older grades would string together entire lines of lyrics. With Jordan on the piano, students also made all the musical decisions, deciding whether to repeat lyrics or when the song's key should change. 'Heather orchestrated it, but they created it,' said Banff Elementary School teacher Joanne Indovina-Duncan. Indovina-Duncan hopes the student-led initiative will resonate with the greater community and that the impact of a younger generation's voice will be felt on a broad scale. 'That's the thing when you hear kids singing or speaking. These are true, honest voices. It does strike a chord,' said Indovina-Duncan. 'I don't know what adult could hear that song and not feel something.' Jordan is hopeful students will also come away from the project having learned that songwriting can be an outlet for them going forward. '[Kids] are thinking about these big topics, they're not able to be completely ambivalent to it and they do have thoughts, they do have feelings about it,' said Indovina-Duncan. The G7 Leaders' Summit will be held in Kananaskis Country from June 15-17. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.
