A detailed guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), including its symptoms, causes, and effective treatment strategies to improve energy and well-being.
Chronic pain is usually defined as pain that’s lasted for more than three months. This may not seem like a terribly long time–unless you’re the one in pain. When something hurts for so long, it can easily eat away at every aspect of a person’s life, from mood to friendships.
The loss of a social life can have significant negative effects on a person’s chronic pain and general health.
Not only can constant pain affect an individual’s ability to perform household chores or go to work, but it can create feelings of isolation and loneliness. A person with chronic pain may feel alone or as though no one understands what he or she goes through. He or she might become resentful of those who don’t have to deal with pain on a regular basis. His or her loved ones might become frustrated by their inability to help. These feelings can multiply and eventually damage friendships and relationships.
Patient.co.uk defines “passive coping” as giving up one’s social life and relying entirely on doctors and medications for pain relief. While having a team of doctors and some carefully-chosen medications is certainly important, it’s not recommended to depend so heavily on them that the rest of a person’s social life is abandoned. In fact, passive coping is associated with increased pain, increased disability, and depression.
On the flip side, a strong support system can have big benefits.
According to one study, chronic pain patients who reported having a supportive family did significantly better than those who described their families as unsupportive. Those with a supportive family reported less pain intensity, had greater activity levels, and were less reliant on medications. They also were more likely to be able to continue working.
Support from loved ones, like family and friends, can make a big difference. Even having a loving pet at home can be helpful. However, connecting with others who have chronic pain is just as important.
Find that pain and its accompanying emotions aren’t unusual
Being part of a chronic pain support group can provide an outlet for rough days and a place to celebrate successful pain management techniques. It can give people with chronic pain a place to say, “It’s one of those days,” and know that others understand what that means.
Many people don’t realize how many others suffer with pain on a daily basis. A chronic pain support group can make it easier to talk about chronic pain, even with those who don’t have it. This can increase awareness of chronic pain and, by extension, increase support from family, friends, and coworkers.
It’s for these reasons and more that the Faces of Pain support group exists.
The Faces of Pain support group allows people to load a picture and a little information about themselves. The simple act of sharing really can help. Additionally, for anyone having a rough day, reading through the many stories at Faces of Pain will inevitably inspire and encourage. Some of the entries are short and to the point, such as Lisa’s: “The way I cope with Chronic Pain is to just trying to fake it ’til I make it…”
Some entries really drive home why support groups are vital, such as Ivy’s:
“My primary goal is to rejoin life again. I’m afraid to go out anymore because I never know when my back will go out or my Meniere’s disease will hit. I’m so out of touch with people and afraid they’ll judge me for my health issues. So my goal is to move past that and learn to enjoy life again despite my health issues. I need strength and courage to move past it.”
Without groups like Faces of Pain, it would be much more difficult for people in situations like Ivy’s to reach out for support. In addition to posts that allow people to share their pain, there are posts that share people’s goals and inspiration. Many people recount their dependence on faith as a source of strength. Many others list their goals, such as traveling, writing, or animal rescue. A significant number of people at Faces of Pain describe their desires to cope with pain by helping others.
Some people also share their successes, which can serve as inspiration for others. One of these is Jess’s. Below a picture of Jess with her young son next to her, she writes:
“On the right, that was as close as my son and I could get from January til May. Now we don’t have limitations in that way and get super close. Love my little guy.”
In addition to the Faces of Pain site, the Fibromyalgia Support Group on Facebook provides a way for those with chronic pain to interact with each other.
The Fibromyalgia Support Group currently has 15,000 members. People in this group sometimes reach out for support while experiencing pain. For example, in a recent post, a woman described the pain that was keeping her from sleep. Several people commented, commiserating with and comforting her. Other posts are jokes and jabs to encourage laughter, which can often reduce pain. Also often posted at the Chronic Pain Support Group are requests for advice. Because the group is so large and varied, there’s almost always someone able to provide suggestions.
Chronic pain doesn’t have to be suffered through in silence and isolation.
Carrying a heavy load can do more than hurt the back. According to Tel Aviv University researchers, nerve damage, specifically to the nerves that travel through the neck and shoulders to animate our hands and fingers, is also a serious risk. At Chronicillness.co Site of United States, our pain doctors recommend not only always lifting heavy objects correctly, but also never lifting more than is safe.
The research, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, and partially supported by a grant from TAU’s Nicholas and Elizabeth Slezak Super Center for Cardiac Research and Biomedical Engineering, was done by Prof. Amit Gefen of TAU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Prof. Yoram Epstein of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, along with Ph.D. student Amir Hadid and Dr. Nogah Shabshin of the Imaging Institute of the Assuta Medical Center. They have determined that the pressure of heavy loads carried on the back has the potential to damage the soft tissues of the shoulder, causing microstructural damage to the nerves.
The result could be anything from simple irritation to diminished nerve capacity, ultimately limiting the muscles’ ability to respond to the brain’s signals, inhibiting movement of the hand and the dexterity of the fingers. In practice, this could impact functionality, reducing a worker’s ability to operate machinery, compromising a soldier’s shooting response time, or limiting a child’s writing or drawing capacity.
The researchers focused their study on combat units in which soldiers must carry heavy backpacks. They discovered that, in addition to complaining of discomfort or pain in their shoulders, soldiers also reported tickling sensations or numbness in the fingers.
Hoping to explore this issue in a non-invasive manner, they used biomechanical analysis methods originally developed for investigating chronic wounds. The analyses show how mechanical loads, defined as the amount of force or deformation placed on a particular area of the body, were transferred beneath the skin to cause damage to tissue and internal organs.
Based on data collected by MRI, Profs. Gefen and Epstein developed anatomical computer models of the shoulders. These showed how pressure generated by the weight of a backpack load is distributed beneath the skin and transferred to the brachial plexus nerves. The models also account for mechanical properties, such as the stiffness of shoulder tissues and the location of blood vessels and nerves in the sensitive areas which are prone to damage.
Extensive mechanical loading was seen to have a high physiological impact. “The backpack load applies tension to these nerves,” explains Prof. Gefen. He notes that the resulting damage “leads to a reduction in the conduction velocity – that is, the speed by which electrical signals are transferred through the nerves.” With a delay or reduction in the amplitude or the intensity of signals, nerve communication cannot properly function, he says.
The researchers were most concerned about how heavy backpacks may affect children. To help children ease the burden on their backs, try to encourage them to bring home everything every night and leave some things in their locker. It’s also helpful to find a well-designed backpack and adjust it properly to fit the child securely.
To most people, pain is usually nothing more than an annoyance–a twinge of back pain or a prickle of pain from a hangnail. For those who suffer from a chronic pain condition, however, it’s much more than an annoyance. When traditional treatment methods have failed and the pain persists, it might beg the question: why do we feel pain?
At its core, pain is a survival mechanism. It’s the body’s way of forcing an immediate response to prevent further injury. For example, if a person sets his or her hand on a hot stove, nerves will transmit a pain response and trigger the person to pull the hand away, almost before he or she has realized that it hurts. By pulling the hand away so quickly, further damage to deeper tissue is prevented.
In addition to preventing severe injuries, pain can help with the healing process by acting as a reminder. George Dvorsky at io9 explains:
“Given that a traumatic event (like stubbing your toe) set the injury response into action, the pain receptors will continue to sense that an injury has occurred and that you need to be reminded about it until it heals. Consequently, the nerve fibres are specialized enough to recognize an ongoing injury that’s in the healing process.”
However, no matter how useful pain is, it’s still unpleasant. To appreciate why pain is important enough that it’s worth the unpleasantness, though, consider those who feel no pain at all.
A rare genetic condition renders some individuals unable to experience physical pain.
A condition, commonly referred to as congenital insensitivity to pain or congenital analgesia, leaves certain individuals unable to feel pain. At 1st this sounds great, but think of tripping over a pet, fracturing a bone, and not knowing that an injury has occurred because there was no pain. Consider a parent attempting to raise a child who cannot experience pain.
2 individuals with this condition recalled the lengths their parents went to in an effort to prevent injuries:
Socks over their hands, to prevent finger-chewing or face-scratching
Despite these safety measures, both still managed to injure themselves regularly. 1 individual recounts his most frequent childhood injuries:
“Jumping down the stairs was the most common injury I had. I would also injure myself by pushing a swingset away from me and having it slam into my face. At the time I enjoyed the reaction I received from others and the time I would spend in the hospital. Touching hot objects was another one of the most frequent injuries I had. I loved to hear the sizzling of my skin. Broken legs were a very common injury for me.”
Strangely enough, this condition is considered a type of peripheral neuropathy, which can also be a cause of chronic pain. This is because congenital insensitivity to pain is a result of malfunctioning peripheral nerves. Chronic pain from peripheral neuropathy occurs when those same nerves are damaged and, instead of going silent, send an overload of pain signals.
Current researchers are delving into the evolutionary properties of pain.
It’s understood that pain is a survival mechanism, but the individual gene receptors that control pain responses are still being studied. For example, a recent study conducted by Shigeru Saito, et. Al. Isolated a specific gene for pain receptors in chickens, called TRPA1. By examining the receptor’s function with different stimuli, the researchers found that heat stimulated the TRPA1 gene in chickens.
The researchers also found that a chemical bird repellant stimulated the same pain receptor as heat, the TRPA1 gene, but the responses to the same repellant by other vertebrate species were varied. Additionally, researchers were able to identify 3 amino acid residues involved in the activation of TRPA1 by the chemical repellant.
Although this study involved pain receptors in chickens, and a chicken’s TRPA1 is more similar to that of a cold blooded animal than that of a human, this is still a significant step in the study of pain. It has added to scientists’ understanding of the functional, biological evolution of pain receptors, and might help answer the question: why do we feel pain?
Another field of evolutionary study, evolutionary psychology, gives a potential explanation for chronic pain.
Evolutionary psychology suggests that the pressure to survive and reproduce throughout human history has shaped the human mind. This field of study attempts to identify imprinted, evolutionary traits to explain why people do or experience what they do. For example, close relatives like children or spouses are jealously guarded because of an evolutionary urge to reproduce and pass on genes.
A school of thought in evolutionary psychology suggests that humans have learned that pain can sometimes help them obtain attention, emotional rewards, and sometimes even economic rewards from others and this is why we feel pain. For example, if an individual complains of pain, he or she is the recipient of sympathy. This might suggest that chronic pain is an evolutionary adaptation of sorts.
However, this idea fails to explain the people who suffer from chronic pain without complaint. Many of these people never even pursue treatment for their pain. Some of those who study evolutionary psychology suggest that the way people handle pain–whether they complain or not, and whether they pursue treatment or not–is dependent on personality and cultural influences.
Even if pain–perhaps even chronic pain–is an important evolutionary trait, it shouldn’t be ignored.
Most pain is evidence of an injury or condition that needs time to heal, possibly even a physician’s attention. Chronicpain, or pain that lasts for 3 months or more, can sometimes potentially be accompanied by psychiatric conditions like depression or anxiety. Because of these risks, it’s advisable to always pursue treatment for chronic pain.
Almost everyone will experience a painful leg spasm at some point. These spasms, sometimes called “Charley horses,” are a painful contraction that can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Residual pain can linger for days. Spasms most often occur during intense activity, such as while running, or when a person is just dozing off or waking up. The muscles of the hands, arms, abdomen, or along the rib cage are all prone to spasms, but most muscle spasms occur in the foot, calf, or thigh muscles. Sometimes, especially after an injury of some sort, these spasms can become chronic.
Nerve malfunction, possibly caused by a pinched nerve or injury
The occasional muscle spasm isn’t cause for great alarm. A multivitamin, increased fluid intake, and proper warm-ups before exercise can often prevent more spasms. Avoiding overexertion from too much exercise can also prevent spasms.
Although most muscle spasms aren’t serious, some might call for medical intervention.
Sometimes, muscle spasms can have deeper causes that make them more difficult to treat. Injuries to the head or spinal cord can sometimes lead to frequent muscle spasms. Additionally, some medical conditions, such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis, can be accompanied by regular spasms. When muscle spasms occur frequently despite efforts to prevent them, or begin to interfere with daily life, it might be time to speak to a physician.
Because a muscle spasm in the leg is a painfully strong contraction of the muscle, it makes sense that a muscle relaxant might help by relaxing the muscle. However, the name muscle relaxant is somewhat misleading, because this group of drugs doesn’t act directly on muscles. Instead, most muscle relaxants act on the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. As a result of the way they function, muscle relaxants can almost be thought of as entire-body relaxants. Indeed, the most common side effect of muscle relaxants is drowsiness or sedation.
According to some sources, stress might actually contribute to or worsen muscle spasms. If this is the case, the sedative-like qualities of muscle relaxants may also contribute to their effectiveness. As stated on the healthline website:
“The sedative effect that most muscle relaxants cause may also be important. Many experts think that much of the benefit of these drugs may come from the sedation they induce in people.”
However they work, muscle relaxants have been proven to provide relief from painful spasms in the legs.
There are 2 types of muscle relaxants that can relieve leg pain from spasms.
The 1st type of muscle relaxant is classified as an antispastic. These medications decrease spasticity, which happens when there is increased muscular tone and exaggerated tendon reflexes. Chronic spasticity is often an effect of neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury. As a result, antispastic muscle relaxants are generally prescribed for individuals whose muscle spasms are neurologically caused. Baclofen and dantrolene are both antispastic medications. Some research suggests that antispastic muscle relaxants’ effectiveness may be limited as compared to antispasmodic muscle relaxants.
Antispasmodic muscle relaxants, on the other hand, work by reducing the number of spasms experienced, which in turn reduces the pain caused by spasms. Although it’s not clear exactly how antispasmodic muscle relaxants work, they have been proven successful at treating chronic pain from frequent muscle spasms. Spasms that are caused by musculoskeletal issues often respond well to antispasmodic muscle relaxants. Non-benzodiazepines and benzodiazepines are both classified as antispasmodic muscle relaxants.
The most common side effect of both antispastic and antispasmodic muscle relaxants is drowsiness.
Because of this, physicians might not prescribe muscle relaxants to people with jobs that require the use of potentially dangerous equipment, like pilots or construction workers. It’s also recommended that a person taking a muscle relaxant for the 1st time do so at home, so he or she can see if the muscle relaxant will cause a serious sedative effect.
In some cases, individuals with a leg pain condition that could benefit from traditional oral pain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids), might have another condition that makes the use of nsaids impossible or unwise. For example, nsaids can cause bleeding or damage to the liver in some cases. Someone with liver disease or a history of ulcers should avoid nsaids. For these individuals, muscle relaxants can provide a viable alternative.
Another surprising treatment option for muscle spasms is Botox injections.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce enzymes called botulinum neurotoxins. The word Botox is a shortened version of this enzyme’s name: Bo from botulinum and tox from neurotoxins. Botox enzymes attach to nerve endings, preventing the release of chemical transmitters that tell a muscle to move. This causes temporary paralysis of the injected muscle, which prevents muscle spasms. It is thought that this temporary paralysis also disrupts neurotransmitters that send pain messages. Therefore, not only can Botox prevent further painful muscle spasms, it can also potentially relieve pain from previous spasms.
After a Botox injection is delivered to the affected muscle, it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to take full effect. Data regarding the use of Botox to treat painful muscle spasms is somewhat limited. However, findings have indicated that it can, indeed, relieve pain. Botox’s effects aren’t permanent, but injections can be repeated every 3 months. Because it treats the symptoms rather than the cause of pain, many physicians also recommend some form of therapy along with Botox injections.
In 2007, arthritis and conditions related to it cost the U.S. economy almost $128 billion in medical care and indirect expenses. The most widespread form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is sometimes called “wear and tear” arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is characterized by the chronic degeneration of the cartilage that cushions our joints. This cartilage allows for easy, smooth movement. When cartilage is worn away, bone rubs directly on bone, causing pain, stiffness, inflammation, and tenderness. Weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees are often most affected by osteoarthritis.
Although osteoarthritis of the knees and hips can affect nearly anyone, certain populations are more at risk than others.
The 2 largest risk factors for osteoarthritis are age and gender. Women are much more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, and they are more apt to develop this disease after age 45. However, before age 45, men are more likely than women to have osteoarthritis. Other risk factors include obesity, past injuries, or a job with repetitive actions or a lot of lifting.
Early warning signs of osteoarthritis of the knees or hips include stiffness or swelling. Among those whose X-rays show osteoarthritic degeneration, only about 1 in 3 report feeling pain. Those who do experience pain might only feel it after physical activity, and pain might fade during rest. Patients might also experience the sensation of bone rubbing on bone or hear a crunching or popping sound during movement. In extreme cases, the sound of bone rubbing across bone can even be audible to the people surrounding the patient.
If the knee joints have degenerated as a result of osteoarthritis, it may become difficult to walk, climb stairs, or get in and out of chairs, cars, or bathtubs. When the hips are affected by osteoarthritis, movement can be even more severely limited. Bending may become difficult, and everyday activities like dressing or putting on shoes can become a challenge. Osteoarthritis pain from the hip joints might even be experienced in the inner thigh, buttocks, groin, or knees.
If osteoarthritis of the knees and hips is significantly advanced and causing a serious decline in a patient’s quality of life, joint replacement surgery is sometimes suggested. Both knee and hip joints can be partially replaced or, if the degeneration is significant enough, completely replaced. During this surgery, the damaged joint will be cut away and a prosthetic joint made of plastic, metal, or ceramic will be installed. Although highly invasive, joint replacement is successful at reducing pain in 90% of patients. However, there is a risk that the artificial joint might eventually become loose or worn out.
There are several non-invasive treatments to consider for osteoarthritis pain before pursuing a more invasive joint replacement.
Often, actions as simple as resting the affected joint can provide relief. Weight loss can be extremely helpful, especially with knee osteoarthritis, since every pound of weight lost removes approximately 3 to 6 pounds of pressure from the knee joints.
Stiffness from osteoarthritis can be relieved by the application of heat, while pain or muscle spasms from osteoarthritis can be alleviated by cold. Over-the-counter pain creams can also be helpful. Assistive devices, such as a cane or walker, can help remove some of the burden from degenerated joints.
Though exercising while suffering from osteoarthritis may seem counterintuitive, it can be very beneficial.
Exercises for people with osteoarthritis should be gentle and low-impact. For example, easy stretches can relieve stiffness. Aerobic exercises like walking can help keep off excess weight, which will reduce strain on joints affected by osteoarthritis. Strong muscles from strengthening exercises can help support and protect joints.
However, overexertion during exercise can exacerbate osteoarthritis pain. Therefore, osteoarthritis sufferers should introduce activity gradually and pay attention to the body’s fatigue signals.
If a person is still experiencing osteoarthritis pain, medications can be helpful.
Oral opioids can block pain signals, but extended use carries the risk of dependency. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (nsaids) work by reducing inflammation around the joints, which can be very effective for reducing discomfort and alleviating pain.
Some injected medications also reduce osteoarthritis pain. Nerve block injections are injected into the nerves of the painful area. These injections include a local anesthetic, such as lidocaine, and often include a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation as well. Another treatment designed to benefit the nerves is radiofrequency ablation (RFA). During RFA, radiofrequency heat is applied to the nerves to cause the formation of a lesion that can stop pain signals.
Other non-invasive treatments for osteoarthritis of the knees and hips include acupuncture or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Acupuncture is the insertion of small needles to block the transmission of pain signals along the nerves. TENS includes the placement of a cap or small pads on the body, through which a slight electrical charge is transmitted to interfere with pain signals.
Bio-medical products can provide more non-surgical options for treating osteoarthritis of the knees and hips. The loss of cartilage in osteoarthritis is often accompanied by the loss of synovial fluid, which is the fluid that encapsulates joints. During a procedure called visco-supplementation, hyaluronate bio-medical fluid is injected into the joint to replace lost synovial fluid. This procedure has proved effective in relieving osteoarthritis pain in the knee joint, but no studies have been carried out to test the potential benefits of visco-supplementation for treatment of osteoarthritic hip pain.
If non-surgical methods fail to alleviate osteoarthritis pain, the patient should discuss the possibility of joint replacement with his or her physician. If the surgery is performed, the person should be sure to take his or her physician’s advice after the procedure. Physical therapy is necessary to help the person regain full mobility and avoid pain. Additionally, lifestyle changes like weight loss or abstinence from alcohol or tobacco use can benefit the recovery process.
Did you know that the majority of people who have had a limb amputated still report feeling some sensation in the removed limb, such as itching or tingling? As many as 80% of amputees experience a type of this phantom limb pain. This can manifest as almost any sort of pain, such as stabbing, throbbing, or burning. Pain can last anywhere from minutes to hours to days, with some amputees in constant pain for decades.
While no one is quite sure what causes phantom limb pain, many experts suspect damaged nerves or scar tissue. Some also blame the mixed signals sent to the brain when an entire limb suddenly stops sending information. When the brain stops receiving input from a limb, it emits the most basic message it can to convey that something’s wrong: pain.
Because no one is certain of the cause of phantom limb pain, no single treatment has been proven to work without fail.
Medications and noninvasive therapies are often a doctor’s first suggestion. Oral drugs, like antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or narcotics, are sometimes effective. Injected pain medications or steroids have also shown some success. Noninvasive techniques like acupuncture or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be helpful, too.
Spinal cord stimulation, during which the doctor inserts small electrodes into the spinal column, might also reduce pain. An electrical current is transmitted through the electrodes, hopefully blocking pain signals. Similar to spinal cord stimulation, deep brain stimulation employs electrical currents to block pain signals, but the currents are instead delivered directly into the patient’s brain. If all else fails, surgery might be suggested to remove scar tissue or damaged nerves. However, this risks worsening the pain if the surgery is unsuccessful or other complications arise.
Other therapies used for phantom limbpain are meant to trick the brain into thinking that the amputated limb still exists.
For example, if a patient only has 1 remaining leg, a mirror box is used to make it appear that the missing leg is still there. Patients perform symmetrical exercises with the remaining limb while imagining that the phantom limb is performing the exercises simultaneously.
Recently, virtual reality (VR) programs have taken the place of traditional mirror therapy. Patients wear VR goggles while performing tasks with their remaining limb, but the goggles show the same tasks being performed by the missing limb instead. Alternatively, a patient can perform tasks in front of a screen equipped with motion tracking equipment and the screen shows the tasks being performed by the phantom limb.
These methods have had mixed results. Some patients report no difference in their phantom limb pain at all. Additionally, these therapies are useless for patients who have lost both arms or both legs, because there’s nothing for the mirrors to reflect or for the VR programs to mimic.
A new treatment for phantom limb pain takes this idea to new heights, while also providing a novel option for double amputee patients.
Max Ortiz-Catalan, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, recently carried out a case study with a patient who suffered from constant phantom limb pain for 48 years. The patient, who lost his arm below the elbow after a traumatic accident, had attempted drug therapy, acupuncture, traditional mirror therapy, and even hypnosis, but his pain remained. Researchers attempted a new treatment method with the patient that was detailed in a recent article in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
For the study, electrodes were attached to the patient’s arm stump. The patient was instructed to attempt 8 different movements with his phantom arm and hand, such as opening and closing his hand or flexing his wrist. These attempted movements “trained” the researchers’ computer program to translate myoelectric muscle signals in the stump and allowed the patient to control a superimposed arm on a screen. The superimposed arm responded in real time, fooling the brain into thinking it was controlling a real arm.
Not only does this method allow a patient to visualize the amputated limb, as in existing mirror and VR therapy, but it also engages the areas of the brain that control the limb’s movement. This, suggests Max Ortiz-Catalan, is the reason that this method is more effective at treating phantom limb pain. Even when the superimposed arm wasn’t visible, such as while playing a racing video game, the patient was able to achieve the same control over the arm and experienced the same benefits. Additionally, this therapy method’s function is based on muscle signals in the stump, rather than the reflection of a remaining limb, so it will work just as well for double amputees.
After 48 years of continuous phantom limb pain, the patient in Ortiz-Catalan’s case study reported being pain-free for 15-60 minutes after each therapy session. He experienced lessened pain at home between therapy sessions, and eventually reported experiencing periods of time at home with no pain at all for the 1st time since losing his arm. He also no longer experiences such severe pain at night that he’s woken up by it. When asked about the perceived position of his missing hand, the patient stated that it was relaxed and semi-open, as opposed to the strongly clenched fist he’s experienced until now.
This therapy is similar in function to myoelectric prosthetics. Indeed, a myoelectric prosthetic utilizes electrodes on a patient’s skin to control movement of the prosthetic arm, just as electrodes allow patients control of the superimposed arm in Ortiz-Catalan’s study. While data is somewhat unclear, there is some suggestion that use of a myoelectric prosthesis could relieve phantom limb pain to some degree. However, these sorts of prosthetics are not very common. A great deal of training is involved, both for the doctor and for the patient. Also, a myoelectric prosthesis is extremely expensive, with prices ranging up to $100,000.
Ortiz-Catalan’s therapy method could provide a much more accessible, cost-effective means of treating phantom limb pain, especially if patients are able to carry out this therapy at home. An at-home system has already been developed and is awaiting approval. The patient in the case study is using it regularly.
Neuralgia is sharp, and often severe, pain that runs along the path of a nerve. The basic cause of neuralgia pain is damage or irritation of a nerve. This damage or irritation can be caused by several different conditions, from disease to trauma.
To understand the cause of neuralgia, it’s first necessary to understand how nerves work.
The nervous system is responsible for carrying information back and forth from the brain to the rest of the body. Nerves are the long bundles of fibers that connect sensitive nerve endings to the rest of the nervous system.
Nerves are protected by a layer of protein and fatty substances called the myelin sheath. If the myelin, or the nerve that’s insulated by it, is damaged, the impulses sent along the nerve can be slowed or interrupted. This can lead to problems like neuralgia or neuropathy.
Both neuralgia and neuropathy are nerve-related and caused by damage to the nerves. However, by breaking down the origins of each word, it’s possible to see how the two conditions are different. Neuro- (or neura-) means nerve. –algia means pain, while –pathy means disease. Therefore, while neuropathy can be accompanied by pain, it’s also characterized by tingling, numbness, weakness, or other symptoms. Neuralgia, however, refers only to nerve pain.
Neuralgia pain is usually a side effect or symptom of something else.
According to the Better Health Channel:
“Generally, neuralgia isn’t an illness in its own right, but a symptom of injury or a particular disorder. In many cases, the cause of the pain is not known. Older people are most susceptible, but people of any age can be affected.”
Sometimes simple old age can be blamed for neuralgia. Other times, a disease might cause damage to the nerves, as in diabetes or multiple sclerosis. Infections like HIV, Lyme disease, or syphilis can also sometimes cause nerve damage. Even a bacterial infection, such as an abscessed tooth, can irritate nearby nerves and cause neuralgia. Pressure on a nerve might cause neuralgia pain, too; bone, tissue, or tumors that press on a nerve can cause painful irritation.
Unfortunately, some medications—including the medications used to treat cancerous tumors—might also lead to neuralgia. Sometimes even trauma, whether from an injury or from a surgical procedure, can cause neuralgia pain. Essentially, anything that can damage the myelin sheath can potentially cause neuralgia.
The different types of neuralgia are generally characterized by the cause or the location of the pain.
For example, the two most common types of neuralgia are post herpetic neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia. Post herpetic neuralgia is characterized by its cause. It is the result of nerve damage from the herpes zoster virus, commonly called shingles.
Trigeminal neuralgia is diagnosed according to which nerve is affected and where the pain is felt. In this type of neuralgia, the trigeminal nerve is damaged or has painful pressure exerted on it. Trigeminal neuralgia pain affects the face. In addition to pain, there might also be such intense hypersensitivity that even brushing the teeth or feeling a breeze on the cheek can cause severe pain. The pain may begin in just one area or on one side of the face, but it can spread as the condition worsens.
Another type of nerve pain is glossopharyngeal neuralgia, which is somewhat uncommon. This occurs when the glossopharyngeal nerve is irritated or damaged, which produces pain in the neck and throat. Sometimes the pain can also extend to the tongue, back of the throat, tonsils, or ears.
Occipital neuralgia occurs when the occipital nerves, or the nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord up to the scalp, are injured or inflamed. This often causes pain that starts at the back of the head and radiates forward, but it can also cause pain on one or both sides of the head or behind the eye. Sensitivity to light or a tender scalp may also occur. This condition can sometimes go undiagnosed because its symptoms are easy to mistake for headaches or migraines.
There is a host of conditions that can cause or be accompanied by neuralgia pain.
Multiple sclerosis is well-known as a nerve-related disease, and it can indeed cause neuralgia pain. In fact, nerve pain is one of the best-known symptoms of multiple sclerosis. However, it’s not the only disease that can cause neuralgia pain.
Other conditions that might be accompanied by neuralgia include:
People with neuralgia pain have a lot of treatment options.
Each individual’s treatment for neuralgia pain might be different, depending on what caused the pain. For example, since the high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes are responsible for damaging nerves, someone with diabetes-related neuralgia pain might benefit from stricter control of diet (and possibly diabetes medications) to keep blood sugar levels at heathier levels. Treating the underlying condition causing the neuralgia is often a good way to treat the pain.
If treating the condition doesn’t relieve neuralgia pain—or if the cause of the pain can’t be identified—there are many other non-surgical treatment options. In some cases, over-the-counter pain medications may be sufficient. Heat therapy, massage, or rest might also do the trick. If not, a physician might be able to prescribe stronger medications, such as antidepressants, antiseizure drugs, or narcotics. Skin patches or creams that contain pain-relieving medications might also help. Physical therapy can sometimes be indicated, as well.
If the pain still persists, the physician may suggest injections of pain medications, such as an occipital nerve block injection for occipital neuralgia. He or she might also suggest radiofrequency ablation, which is focused heat that damages a painful nerve in order to cut off pain signals before they’re sent to the brain.
If non-surgical methods have failed to alleviate neuralgia pain, there are surgical ways that can treat it. The most common surgical procedures to correct neuralgia attempt to relieve the pressure on a painful nerve, perhaps by moving the blood vessel that’s pressing on the nerve. Other surgical procedures have a similar goal as radiofrequency ablation: the interruption of the nerve to stop pain signal transmission.
Unfortunately, some people are unable to find relief from neuralgia pain despite attempting all available treatments. However, most neuralgia pain is relatively minor and responds well to treatment.
Imagine waking up with intense, burning pain for no reason, or undergoing surgery only to find that the accompanying pain increases and spreads until it forces the use of a wheelchair. Worse still, imagine spending months—or even years—going to physicians who are unable to diagnose the condition. This is the grim reality for people with complex regional pain syndrome.
Once called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RDS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is characterized by pain. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “CRPS represents an abnormal response that magnifies the effects of the injury.” In other words, a small injury becomes a big pain.
The pain associated with this syndrome may be constant and severe. It may begin in one small, localized area, such as a finger, and spread to include a much larger area, such as the entire arm. It may also spread to the opposite extremity. Painfully-increased sensitivity, called allodynia, may also occur, so that even a light touch on the affected area can cause severe pain.
Difficulty with muscle movement and decreased ability to move the affected body part
Abnormal movement or fixed abnormal position of the affected body part
All of these symptoms are confined to the affected area of the body, so one leg might be swollen, blotchy, extremely painful, and difficult to move, while the opposite leg is completely fine. Sometimes, though, symptoms can spread, so both of an individual’s legs might be affected.
Cases of complex regional pain syndrome are divided into two types, although some sources list a third type, as well. Type one (CRPS I) is characterized by severe, burning pain at the injury site, accompanied by muscle spasms, joint stiffness, and rapid hair and nail growth. Type two (CRPS II) is more intense pain, accompanied by swelling, slowed hair growth, unhealthy nail growth, and atrophied muscles. When differentiated, type three (CRPS III) is accompanied by unyielding, wider-spread pain, irreversible skin and bone changes, and severely limited mobility.
Some people develop complex regional pain syndrome at random, with no identifiable triggers. These people may simply wake up one day in agonizing, unrelenting pain. However, many people afflicted with complex regional pain syndrome develop it after an injury or surgery. Even something as simple as a soft tissue injury, like a cut or bruise, can trigger complex regional pain syndrome.
In the case of photographer, blogger, and author Micaela Bensko, her complex regional pain syndrome developed as a result of a concussion and damage to her cervical spine after a tailgate hit her on the head.
As stated in her blog:
“Along with the mechanical injuries to my spine, after about a year symptoms began to develop that leaned toward a Motor Neuron Disease such as ALS or MS but with unrelenting pain unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life. After extensive neurological testing, and a multitude of doctors, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in my spine after one of my procedures.”
As pointed out here, the diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome can be difficult. The symptoms can vary from person to person. There is often no clear-cut cause. In some cases, the condition can improve without treatment, which might end all attempts at diagnosis until the symptoms flare up again and make it necessary to start the diagnostic process all over.
Additionally, there is no single test to confirm complex regional pain syndrome. A diagnosis relies on observation of symptoms and the combined results of several different diagnostic tests to rule out other conditions.
The researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Translational Medicine, alongside researchers from the University of Pecs in Hungary, carried out a study on the autoantibodies in people with complex regional pain syndrome. Autoantibodies are naturally-produced but harmful antibodies that attack and damage bodily tissue. Usually, the body self-regulates autoantibodies, but sometimes—particularly in autoimmune disorders—the body fails to do this, allowing autoantibodies to multiply.
In this study, researchers took autoantibody serum from healthy people and from people with complex regional pain syndrome. The serums were injected into mice. Mice injected with serum from people with complex regional pain syndrome began to show symptoms of the syndrome. As stated on the University of Liverpool’s website:
“Although it had previously been thought, that the cause of CRPS is exclusively an abnormal brain activity after injury, more recent results, including from the Liverpool group have pointed to an immune dysfunction.”
If the cause of complex regional pain syndrome can be pinned down by more studies like this one, there may someday be a cure for it.
For now, although there is no cure, there are several treatments that show promise at treating the symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome.
Traditional treatments for complex regional pain syndrome symptoms include rehabilitation therapy, neural stimulation, or medication. Some alternative treatments, such as biofeedback, acupuncture, or chiropractic care, have also had some success.
One newer treatment for complex regional pain syndrome symptoms is the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. This involves the afflicted individual spending time in a pressurized, high-oxygen hyperbaric chamber. One study found that after regular HBO treatments, pain and swelling from complex regional pain syndrome were reduced, while the range of motion was increased.
Another potential treatment for complex regional pain syndrome symptoms is the anesthetic drug ketamine. A study in Australia found that 76% of patients experienced full, although temporary, relief from pain after receiving regular infusions of ketamine. Eventually, this treatment was brought to the United States, where it has shown real success.
A previous study at the University of Liverpool examined the effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Patients in this study showed an average drop in pain of 1.55 on an 11-point pain scale. While this study wasn’t as thorough or as promising as others, it was noted that IVIG is significantly more cost-effective than some treatments, such as ketamine therapy.
In Italy, researchers recently found that a bisphosphonate called neridronate can have very profound effects on type one complex regional pain syndrome symptoms. Bisphosphonates are typically used to treat bone-related conditions like osteoporosis. However, this study found that regular applications of the bisphosphonate neridronate caused significant reduction of pain and hypersensitivity when given intravenously.
At Chronicillness.co Site of United States, the pain specialists understand that there are multiple avenues in which to treat chronic pain. Alternative therapies like support groups can be combined with clinical therapies like injections, minimally invasive procedures, medications, and other treatments to best benefit the chronic pain patient.
For anyone dealing with chronic pain, sometimes it may seem like you are the only one out there who is going through a difficult time. But this is not true. Support groups and group therapy are great tools for helping patients cope with their everyday pain and the overwhelming emotions that sometimes come along with it.
Belonging to a support group is beneficial because when a patient realizes another person has similar experiences, this helps the patient understand that they are not alone in struggling with their pain. A support group is able to help identify and deal with changes that happen when living with chronic pain. With the encouragement and support of a support group, members are better able to understand the fears, barriers, and difficulties of living with chronic pain. Support groups also allow patients with negative issues to change to positive ones such as pain management and finding hope and a purpose to live.
Many times a cure for chronic pain may not be realistic. In this case, the focus of a support group may become managing chronic pain, and all the steps involved in doing this, including the treatment plan discussed with a pain management specialist.
For those interested in starting a support group, the first step is finding the website relating to your specific pain condition and researching to see if there is a support group in your area. If there is not, local advertising can attract attention to a new group. There may be other chronic pain sufferers in the area willing to pitch in and help bring people together.
Group therapy is another good idea that helps patients get in contact with other people dealing with chronic pain. Supportive psychotherapy is the most powerful and therapeutic aspect of this activity. Patients have time to share their experiences with one another and talk about the effects of chronic pain on their work lives, relationships, hobbies, and their day-to-day activities. Patients can also share positive coping skills they have used or learned. Skills taught during the classes may include focused breathing, muscle relaxation, and guided imagery. These can all help patients decrease anxiety and pain levels. Another helpful activity is problem-solving with other patients on ways to decrease pain and cope with the consequences of chronic pain.
It is not uncommon to see those with hypermobility and EDS covered in an abundance of brightly coloured KT tape. Kinesio tape comes highly recommended for those with hypermobility, however, just like most modalities, there are those that find it helpful and those who do not. There is an abundance of claims when it comes to using KT tape, ranging from injury prevention to increased circulation. However, what does the research say about taping joints with KT tape when you are hypermobile?
This is the topic for today and boy is it a doozy!
Kinesio taping was first brought about by chiropractor Kenzo Kase, back in the mid-1970’s, when he developed the original Kinesio Tape, which he called Kinesio Tex Classic. The term “Kinesio” is a shorthand for the word kinesiology, meaning “the study of movement”.
However, it’s important to note that this is not kinesiology, but rather good marketing. It could have easily been called a number of other things: Injury tape, Rehab tape, or Chiropractic tape. But that just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?
In 1980 Kenzo Kase established the “Kase Chiropractic Institute” in Kojimachi, Tokyo, and officially founded The Kinesio Taping Method.
By 1985 a dedicated taping instructor programme had been developed, and by 1989 the national Japanese volleyball team were using Kinesio Taping. Fast forward to 1997 and 7 of the major league baseball teams in America were using it.
At the 2012 Olympics, KT tape exploded! Many professional athletes were spotted on camera with colourful and elaborate designs, with even more elaborate reasons as to why they were wearing them.
At the Olympics there was a huge explosion in competition, with many new brands appearing also using the word ‘Kinesio’ in in the branding. Obviously, there are a few examples of cease and desist letters being sent in this time period, as Kase protected his trademark.
There are numerous claims when it comes to taping joints for those with hypermobility, and the list will probably surprise you;
Lifts the skin, decompressing the layers of fascia, allowing for greater movement of lymphatic fluid which transports white blood cells throughout the body and removes waste products, cellular debris, and bacteria.
However, bold claims require extraordinary evidence. Once you cut through all of the marketing and fancy claims, there are only really three points that may have any substance to them: pain relief, injury prevention, and increased performance.
These extreme claims have resulted in class action lawsuits and caused companies who market Kinesiology Tape to have to remarket and change their claims, as well as pay out considerable sums of money.
Under the terms of the KT Tape settlement, KT Health Holdings Inc paid $1.75 million to resolve the deceptive marketing allegations. In addition to creating the settlement fund to reimburse customers, KT also agreed to change the way that tape is advertised, removing the label claims: “it will keep you pain-free,” “prevents injury” and “provides 24-hour pain relief per application.”
The kinesiology tape packaging also changed to include a large bold disclaimer, to inform consumers that the athletic tape is “not clinically proven for all injuries.”
Likewise, RockTape faced similar class action allegations that its tape doesn’t provide the advertised pain relief. Unfortunately, sports medicine is far from evidence-based, with inventions such as theracanes and scraping tools having a tiny amount of research. However, taping has over 2000! So research isn’t exactly lacking in this area. But what does it say?
With so many claims out there for tape, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction, and placebo from actual mechanisms. As I mentioned before, once we take away the bogus claims, it leaves us with only three main points that may have any truth to them. If you are Hypermobile or have EDS, then I am going to assume that it’s more of the potential benefits to pain that you are most interested in.
The main issue with the current evidence on tape and hypermobility is that many of the research studies conducted conclude that KT tape may be effective, however, the quality of evidence (also known as grade) is insanely low. One example of this is a study in 2013 that concludes KT tape “may be effective in reducing pain during stair climbing activities”. However, the median effect of 0.5 on a pain scale from 0 – 10, was lower than the threshold of clinical importance. Meaning, that the quality of evidence for this study was rated “very low quality” as it was a single trial with a very high risk of bias. Some authors even concluded that Kinesio Taping was effective when their data did not identify significant benefits!
There is an abundance of people with hypermobility that rely on KT tape every day, yet in the same breath, there are people that it simply does nothing for. Likewise, if you take a closer look, there are also people who get negative effects from using tape, usually in the form of blisters, sensitivity, or burning, from the adhesive commonly used in Kinesiology Tape.
Whilst there is an abundance of research into KT tape, the research conducted around taping hypermobile individuals, who are arguably the population that needs it the most, is rather disappointing. Whilst some studies do show that KT tape may have some benefits when it comes to pain and hypermobility, most of the studies are fairly poor, lacking in control groups, consisting of very small sample sizes, and with no to very little follow-up.
A study conducted in 2021, showed that Kinesiology taping may be effective for reducing shoulder pain and improving function in patients with EDS up to 48 hours post application. But, again, this was a sample size of eight females, no control group, and a possible time effect. Hopefully, as research grows, a larger study will be conducted with a control group, more participants, and over a larger time period.
Likewise, a far superior study conducted recently in 2021, showed that 10 sessions of shoulder rehab, over a 6-week time frame, found no difference when KT tape was used. Both groups improved over time, in symptoms, range of motion, and functionality of the shoulder.
An interesting study showed that KT tape, when combined with foot strengthening exercises, compared to just strength exercises, was more effective at increasing navicular height: creating more of an arch. It was a decent sample size and could have been better controlled, but the main issue I have with this study is that it seems a little biased, directly quoting Kenzo Kase’s tape claims. However, it does give us a little food for thought. One of the exclusion criteria for this study though was no neuromuscular disorders, or more pertinent to hypermobility, no lower limb injuries.
The likelihood of someone using KTtape if they are hypermobile is because of recurring injuries and dislocations. So, how does this study compare to those who are injured and prone to dislocations? There is also the issue that one modality coupled with another, is pretty much always more effective than using a single modality alone, like results shown in this Masters thesis using KT tape and Orthotics.
An interesting study performed on recreational dancers found that Kinesio taping was fairly effective in eliminating sacroiliac joint pain, occurring in 13-25% of patients in the dance population. It’s a good idea to keep in mind, that people generally gravitate to activities at which they are naturally good at. This is one of the reasons why we find a higher prevalence of hypermobility amongst dancers, compared to say Rugby or other contact sports.
With research severely lacking in KT tape and hypermobility, I looked more towards the studies that would naturally include those with hypermobility, which is why these studies into dancers give us a little more insight into KT tape and hypermobility. Having analysed numerous publications on the effectiveness of Kinesio taping amongst dancers and athletes, you could conclude that KT tapes proves to be ineffective when it comes to increasing muscle strength or improving proprioception of the joints. However, only if it is used by healthy individuals using moderate physical activity.
Studies of Kinesio taping under strenuous physical exercises, for healthy individuals, have demonstrated numerous positive effects of taping, such as improvement of articular proprioception and postural stability (both static and dynamic), relieving of muscle fatigue and enhancing their recovery, as well as a reduction in the severity of delayed-onset muscle soreness. Kinesio taping turned out to be exceptionally effective for patients with different acute and chronic injuries of the musculoskeletal system. It helped to restore impaired proprioception, stabilise joints, ease pain symptoms, and improve muscle strength. However, there still is one giant issue when it comes to tape and hypermobility; what is the actual mechanism that yields these results? It is incredibly hard to dive deep into this topic with so little specific research into hypermobility and tape.
Not only is this a hard topic to research, but when we factor in the poor quality evidence of the studies and potential bias, it’s easy to get a headache.
Research comes with many levels of evidence, and unfortunately, most of these studies aren’t great. However, I did find a study that sits firmly at the top of the hierarchy when it comes to evidence. In this beautifully done research, it concluded that KT tape, when used for a range of musculoskeletal conditions, has no benefit over sham taping/placebo and active comparison therapies. In essence, the benefit was too small to be clinically worthwhile, or the trials were of very low quality.
Regardless of the comparison used or the outcomes investigated, most research typically showed no significant difference in outcomes between groups, or a trivial effect in favour of Kinesio Taping (ie, small enough to not be considered clinically worthwhile). It seems that the growing use of Kinesio Taping is due to massive marketing campaigns (such as the ones used during the London 2012 Olympic Games) rather than high-quality, scientific evidence with clinically relevant outcomes.
Therefore, current evidence does not support the use of Kinesio Taping for musculoskeletal conditions.
It is also possible that performance could potentially be increased, say through a combination of minor benefits. Alone they are hard to identify, but collectively they may be relevant. So there you have it, the evidence for using KT tape is not very good!
The evidence shows us that KT Tape likey doesn’t do what it says it does, and any effects are likely a placebo or brought about by any number of biological, psychological, or social variables. But, some people with hypermobility like taping. It makes them feel better, experience less pain, and it makes them feel like their joints are more stable. If there was ever a reason to use tape, it’s not because of the crazy marketing, but of how it makes you feel.
So for the people who do seem to get pain relief from taping, why is this?
Well, for those with Hypermobility, and especially those that sublux/dislocate, nociceptive pain can play a large part in their life, and this is where it gets interesting.
Nociception is where high threshold nerves that detect potentially dangerous stimuli, such as extremes in temperature, pressure, chemicals and stretch, inform your brain that something may be wrong. However, keep in mind that this is not a pain signal, because they do not exist. Let’s leave pain receptors in 1664 where they belong. However, for those with hypermobility and EDS, recurrent subluxations/dislocations, are going to cause a lot of nociception. In fact, this may even lead to nociplastic pain, wherein your nervous system changes how nociception works, making it more sensitive to keep you safe.
Let’s say you sublux your hypermobile ankle. Extreme stretching of the ligaments and tendons is likely to cause a nociceptive response. Your brain decided that because of the context of the situation and about 50 million other variables, producing pain to stop you from bearing weight on your ankle and damaging it further, is a very good call.
Your joint isn’t dislocated, however, it did go out and then straight back in…this is known as a subluxation (you probably already knew that if you’re hypermobile). Depending on the degree of subluxation/dislocation that occurs, nerves and blood vessels may be damaged, muscles and ligaments may tear or twinge, the joint may swell, compression of nerves may cause tingling, and inflammatory responses can be activated. Say hello to nociception!
Due to the subluxation, you have a local inflammatory response. Your nervous system is on high alert and it’s sending far more information to your brain than it normally does when it comes to your ankle. Your brain receives around 11 million bits of sensory information every second, so what is a little more if it keeps you safe.
Tape very likely acts as a competing input for those with hypermobility, helping to drown out nociception to some small degree. If you stub your toe on a coffee table, you’re likely going to produce nociceptive pain. The first thing you are going to do is to rub your toes sending competing information to your brain to drown it out. This is why the pain changes from that sudden, acute, and sharp pain, to a more manageable low-level throbbing pain. So, it’s not a far stretch to assume that it is likely the same mechanisms at work.
Likewise, we are human and as such we are incredibly tactile. We love to touch. In fact, it’s one of the very first things we learn as babies, as our mothers cuddle us and provide love. It’s also one of the very first associations we make as small children. We fall over, we scrape our knees, and mum makes it better with a kiss and cuddle. As humans, we often learn that when it comes to pain, sensory information helps. If you don’t believe me, then the next time you stub your toe, just don’t rub it and see how long you can stand. Touch and sensory information for humans is innate.
In the weird world of pain, there are many things that mediate and contribute to why someone experiences it. Likewise, there is also an abundance of factors that help to reduce it, and touch and sensory information is one of those things. Taping a joint does seem to give people have more ownership over it, becoming acutely more aware of joint positioning (well kind of), as well as being more conscious when it comes to moving the joint. After all, it is a lot harder to sublux a joint, if you are paying attention to it. Which coincidentally, is the main mechanism most hypermobility rehab, pilates, and yoga programmes use. The only issue here is that you can be absolutely fine whilst doing the exercise (because you are aware), however, once you finish and go about your day, pop, there goes your joint.
We have said it a million times here at The Chronicillness.co, the way that other professionals go about hypermobility rehab is not right at the moment. Consciously being aware of your joints does not stabilise them outside of sessions, only slightly inside of sessions. If you take a look a some of our clients, you will see that in a very short time frame their joints become stable outside of sessions not just inside, and this is largely because we work neurologically, and don’t stress conscious awareness.
Probably one of the better reasons to choose KT tape if you are hypermobile or have Ehlers Danlos syndrome, over say a rock-hard support splint, is the effect that immobilising can have.
Immobilisation can lead to hypoxic and inflammatory conditions in the joint capsule, which can easily become an initiating factor for issues such as joint contractures, as well as sending constant nociceptive signals.
With a joint that is repeatedly dislocating, there is a fair chance that the person suffering is likely going to avoid using the joint, choosing to immobilise it. This, however, can lead to a vicious cycle of disuse and lack of nourishment to the joint. In immobilisation studies conducted over 32 weeks by binding the hind legs of rats:
Immobilised cartilage had increased collagen content (scar tissue)
The severity of osteoarthritis increased as measured by Mankin scores
The trabecular bone plate area (the spongy bone at the end of long bones, like the thigh and shin bones) at the front and back of the shin showed bone loss, but not in the middle.
Chondral vascular ingrowth was seen in the subchondral bone. This means that blood supply was increased to the bone as the cartilage and outer bone was dying.
The centre of the knee joint was being fortified, as we see in the fact that bone loss was not seen in the centre of the top of the tibia bone.
Replacement of cartilage by bone may have been mediated by chondral vascularisation, suggesting irreversible changes. These findings stress the importance of weight-bearing and joint motion to maintain cartilage structure.
Not surprisingly, it has been shown that the more a specific joint is exercised, the stronger the bone-ligament and bone-tendon complexes become. Exercise specifically helps strengthen the fibro-osseous junction, which is where the ligament/tendon and bone attach to each other, and which, incidentally, is the area where Prolotherapy (often recommended and praised by the hypermobile population) treatments are administered.
With KT tape providing some sensory tickling, as well as helping to support the joint, but not completely immobilise it, it does have the potential to be a lot healthier, given the above.
So, a big reason why a lot of those with hypermobility and EDS use Kinesio taping, is because they feel that it adds to proprioception. Now I will preface this next section by saying here at The Fibro Guy, we do use tape occasionally, however, only ever in session, and we never make KT tape out to be more than it is. Tape can be helpful for some of our clients with issues like Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, to help cue them into positions where they aren’t causing compression. With that being said, it’s only ever added for a tiny boost to positioning and awareness. To be honest, it’s more like an addition to awareness, than actually increasing proprioception.
Research around proprioception and the use of KT tape in the hypermobile population, is again, unsurprisingly sparse!
An interesting study performed on those with hemiplegia due to stroke, found a difference in values before and after the tape was applied in the case of left and right deviation whilst walking. Not a fantastic study, due to a lack of controls, too small of sample size, and the fact that physiological and psychological factors were not considered relating to the subjects.
Many ankle studies show KT tape has no real significance when it comes to proprioception. Likewise, studies around the lower back and proprioception, yield the same results. One study looking at the effects of Kinesio taping of the knee on proprioception, balance, and functional performance in patients with anterior cruciate ligament rupture (ACLr) found some interesting results, in that KT may have beneficial effects on proprioception, balance, and functional performance in people with ACLr, but it cannot completely compensate for the loss of proprioception. The application of KT during rehabilitation may be a good therapeutic option either before ACL reconstruction surgery or as a conservative treatment for ACLr. However, it’s not a great study when it comes to tape, for many of the reasons I’ve already stated in the above paragraphs.
Then we have another study by a team of Italian researchers found that Kinesio Tape may help improve ankle stability for athletes with chronic ankle instability.
So, looking at the research, it looks like sometimes it may help slightly, other times it makes no difference at all, and there are 100,000 other variables that are likely involved, but unaccounted for.
Research always has limitations, and a large one is that a lot of these studies were performed with vision removed from the experiments. Vision is an important part of moving, as it works in conjunction with our cortical maps, to help us over through space and time. People, especially those with hypermobility and EDS, don’t walk through life with their eyes shut using just proprioception, they include visual data. Likewise, small sample sizes, some bias, and a whole host of other things, we end up with more questions than we first started with.
By looking at the research, we can see that something happens when we use KT tape. I mean it’s probably not the KT tape that’s responsible, but a whole host of other factors. But, the fact remains, that KT tape may make people more aware of their joints, but more importantly, it might help contribute to less pain, and that’s what it’s about isn’t it.
Tape isn’t particularly invasive, it’s not damaging (well sometimes, and I will get to that), and it makes some people feel better. Given all of that, if taping does help you, then you don’t really have anything to lose; just don’t go expecting miracles. I think that the use of tape in this context is fine. It’s a little like stretching, a lot of the reasons people do it got debunked years ago. But, if it feels good and it helps, go for it.
So, you have taken a look at the evidence, and you realise that there isn’t anything specifically magical about the tape. However, you do fancy a little bit more awareness of your joints and a little bit of sensory tickling. Well, then, that’s a pretty good reason to use tape. Let’s take a look in the next few sections on how to tape. But first, let’s start with some KT tape tips, that are going to save you a lot of headaches.
For those with EDS and velvet skin, and indeed even those without, perhaps those with mast cell issues, the tape can be an irritant, and in some instances cause blisters and soreness. For KT tape to stick to your skin, it is covered with adhesive. When you apply KT tape, you are recommended to rub the tape to help activate the adhesive. Now, if you do have skin that is irritable (and to be honest, I recommended this for everyone), do a little patch test first. Cut a small square of tape off and apply it to an area for 48hrs, then see how you react. Likewise a really handy tip if you are super irritable to tape, is to use barrier film spray, the same spray used for stoma bags.
It’s all well and good having your tape on, but there will come a time that you need to remove it. Even the smallest of hairs are going to hurt when the tape comes off. So, make sure that you shave the area if it is dense with hair, and you can save yourself some trouble in the future.
Often people end up cutting off more tape than they actually need. Remember, that tape stretches, which means that once you apply some tension to it, it will reach further. This is a handy little tip, especially considering how expensive some tapes can be!
KT tape has a tendency for the ends to curl up, getting caught on clothing. So, if you are going to tape, round off the corners of your tape and it will last far longer.
Trying to pull the backing tape off KT can be frustrating. Instead, if you tear the tape with your hands, you will tear the backing paper, making it easy to remove, whilst leaving the tape unaffected.
By looking at the research, we can see that something happens when we use KT tape. I mean, it’s most likely not the KT tape that’s responsible, but a whole host of other factors. But, the fact remains, that KT tape may give people more awareness of their joints, but more importantly, it might help contribute to less pain, and that’s what it’s about really isn’t it.
So, for those of you who are wanting to tape hypermobile joints, we have compiled a few videos of how to tape some of the most problematic hypermobile joints.
We hope you enjoyed reading, and more importantly, feel more informed about KT tape and hypermobility.
