What Is AMPS?: Causes and Treatment for Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome in Children
Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS) is a chronic pain condition that causes the brain to send pain signals to the body even when there is no injury. Children and adults with AMPS may experience pain all the time or may find harmless stimuli (such as touch or light pressure) painful. AMPS can be diffuse (affecting the entire body) or localized (affecting a single part of the body.) AMPS is differentiated from other pain conditions as there is often no apparent cause of the pain, or the patient experiences pain levels greater than the expected degree of discomfort. In many cases, the pain may last for weeks or months and significantly interfere with a patient’s mobility, sleep, and overall function.
Symptoms of AMPS
AMPS presents itself mainly in pediatric patients. The condition is more commonly found in teenagers than younger children, while girls are more affected than boys. Typically, symptoms of AMPS present as the following:
- Pain in a specific limb or area (localized AMPS)
- Pain in muscles, joints, and limbs throughout the body (generalized AMPS)
- Increased skin sensitivity during contact
- Limited mobility
- Fatigue
- Sleep disruption
- Headaches, abdominal pain, joint pain
Children and teens who experience AMPS are also predisposed to mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression. Patients with autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, may experience amplified pain symptoms due to AMPS. Due to the heavy physical and mental toll that this condition takes on patients, it is important to seek timely interventions if your child is reporting extreme pain and/or any of the symptoms above.
Understanding and Diagnosing AMPS
AMPS is characterized by the severity of the pain signals transmitted to the brain. In a “normal” nervous system, the functioning nerves send pain signals to the brain to warn of trauma, stress, or injury. With AMPS, the nervous system instead sends faulty signals not attuned to the body’s proper functioning. What causes this phenomenon is currently unknown. Researchers believe that it may be caused by a malfunction of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system.
In some patients, symptoms of AMPS will appear after an injury and continue long after the expected length of recovery. In other patients, the pain will be much greater than the expected degree of comfort and may have no discernible origin. Because of this variability, diagnosis can be difficult. At Rady Children’s, our specialists examine the patient’s total health history to rule out other conditions and determine a course of treatment. This includes testing for immune diseases, infections, or musculoskeletal injuries. Once these possibilities are explored, the specialist will then recommend further testing to confirm the condition.
Treatment Approaches for Amplified Pain Syndrome:
Treatment for AMPS is centered around pain relief, return to functional movement, and the support of a patient’s mental health and emotional needs. In many patients, AMPS can be resolved through weeks or months of treatment.
Rady Children’s is one of few hospitals in the United States offering the Juvenile AMPS Treatment Program as taught by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia AMPS team. This approach treats the physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and environmental factors impacting a patient’s pain. This includes the following therapies and modalities:
- Acupuncture
- Aquatic therapy
- Healing Arts – Music and Art
- Healing Touch
- Meditation
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Psychology
- Recreation therapy
- Therapeutic yoga
Each patient’s pain journey is different and as a result, our pain specialists at the Rady Children’s Chronic Pain Clinic will individualize their treatments to best support the child’s lifestyle, family, and symptoms. Our approach is intended to guarantee the best outcomes for long-term management of the condition, and ultimately, a return to full function, a healthy lifestyle, and fostering positive mental and behavioral habits.
Sources:
https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_amplified-musculoskeletal-pain-syndrome.asp
https://rheumatology.org/patients/amplified-musculoskeletal-pain-syndrome-amps