Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome
Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS) is an illness characterized by notable pain intensity without an identifiable physical cause.
| Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome | |
|---|---|
| Image showing hyperalgesia and allodynia, two common symptoms of AMPS, compared to normal pain levels in response to stimuli. | |
| Specialty | Rheumatology, Pediatrics, Psychology |
| Symptoms | Chronic pain, allodynia, abdominal pain, anxiety, depression, dysphagia, dizziness, fatigue, headache, joint pain, movement issues, such as stiffness, shakiness, or coordination difficulty, swelling, fast heart rate, skin texture, color, or temperature changes, paresthesia, changes in nail or hair growth |
| Complications | Major depressive disorder, anxiety, psychological stress, osteoporosis, muscle atrophy |
| Usual onset | Childhood and adolescence. Some evidence shows 14 years of age to be an average. |
| Types | Complex regional pain syndrome, Diffuse idiopathic pain (Also known as juvenile fibromyalgia), Intermittent amplified pain, Localized amplified pain |
| Causes | Psychological trauma, physical injury, illness |
| Risk factors | Asthma, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, myositis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, rheumatologic diseases, being female |
| Diagnostic method | Full overview of patient history and out rule of potential physical causes |
| Differential diagnosis | Myofascial pain syndrome, idiopathic chronic pain, degenerative disc disease, lordosis, Greater trochanteric pain syndrome |
| Management | Aerobic exercise, message therapy to desensitize physical contact, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), procedures and injections |
| Medication | Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors |
| Prognosis | Good |
| Frequency | 2-6% of children have a mild case of AMPS. |
Characteristic symptoms include skin sensitivity to light touch, also known as allodynia. Associated symptoms may include changes associated with disuse including changes in skin texture, color, and temperature, and changes in hair and nail growth. In up to 80% of cases, symptoms are associated with psychological trauma or psychological stress. AMPS may also follow physical injury or illness. Other associations with AMPS include Ehlers-danlos syndrome, myositis, arthritis, and other rheumatologic diseases.
Treatment for notable pain intensity without identifiable pathophysiology can include psychotherapy to alleviate psychological stress. Physical therapists, psychologically informed physical therapists in particular, can coach people on exercises they can do everyday at home. The prognosis for the condition is very positive, with the ability for majority of effected individuals to recover completely, but the management of the condition is a gradual improvement over time, which can leave many individuals feeling a lack of motivation or progress in their AMPS management. Clinicians who use this diagnosis sometimes apply it to children and adolescents. To date, this diagnosis is used more in women.