RAPS: Rehabilitation for Amplified Pain Syndrome

Amplified pain syndrome (APS) is a condition in which the child’s perception of pain is increased due to the abnormal firing of nerves which sense pain and control vascular tone. Amplified Pain Syndrome (APS) can include: Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) (formerly Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)), and other types of nerve-related pain.

Treatment is as unique as the condition itself: intensive exercise, physical and occupational therapy; relaxation techniques; stress-management training; and music and therapeutic art.

Cara Hoffart, DO is here to explain how the RAPS program (Rehabilitation for Amplified Pain Syndrome) at Children’s Mercy is one of only a few treatment programs in the country and has attracted patients from as far away as Lima, Peru.