Tag Archive | Spasms

What is Allodynia

Aug15

Allodynia is a pain response caused by stimuli that normally does not cause pain (i.e. a shirt touching the area, a hug or a brush of a hand). Temperature and/or physical stimuli can cause it to flare. It often feels like a burning sensation. It often happens after injury to the site (i.e. Spinal Cord Injury or amputation of a limb), like in my case.

Allodynia is a pain response caused by stimuli that normally does not cause pain (i.e. a shirt touching the area, a hug or a brush of a hand). Temperature and/or physical stimuli can cause it to flare. It often feels like a burning sensation. It often happens after injury to the site (i.e. Spinal Cord Injury or amputation of a limb), like in my case. (Wikipedia, Allodynia)

There are days when the thought of getting undressed, then showered and then dressed again seems impossible. The burning sensation feels more like my skin is stretched and swollen to capacity then as I move it feels like it is being ripped open. Of course, this is not what is happening, but when you move at all and the neurological response sends the pain to about a 7 or 8 it makes simple daily tasks seem out of reach.

There are three main types of Allodynia. A person may have one, two or all three types of Allodynia. They are:

  • Thermal allodynia: Thermal allodynia causes temperature-related pain. Pain occurs due to a mild change of temperature on the skin (hot or cold/or both) For example, exposure to heat like being in the sun can cause symptoms to increase.
  • Mechanical allodynia: This where sensation caused something moving across the skin. For instance, bedsheets pulled across a person’s skin may be painful or a towel rubbing the area.
  • Tactile allodynia: Tactile allodynia, also called static allodynia, happens when something touches the skin. For example, a tap on the shoulder may cause pain for someone with tactile allodynia. (Pietro, 2017)

Allodynia may occur due to increased responsiveness or malfunction of nociceptors, which are a type of nerve. They are the “pain receptors” nerves located all over the body which includes the skin, muscles, joints, bones and internal organs. The nociceptors respond to pain and send the signal from the body part to the spinal cord and brain. With people who have spinal cord injuries the signals get confused so a touch can be confused as pain. (Wikipedia, Nociceptor)

There are medical conditions which can increase the risk of developing allodynia, such as: Spinal Cord Injury, Migraines, Postherpetic neuralgia, Fibromyalgia, Diabetes, and Complex regional pain syndrome. (Roland, 2017)

There is no cure for Allodynia. Currently the treatment is aimed and reducing the symptoms. The use of Pregabalin (Lyrica) and other medications like it are used to treat other conditions like spinal cord injuries, diabetes, and fibromyalgia and are now being used to reduce the Allodynia pain along with lifestyle changes such as reducing stress. Getting plenty of sleep and keeping stress low as well as eating healthy can all help reduce the symptoms. (Pietro, 2017)

Personally, I have tired various methods and so far, I have not found the magic mixture. I currently 700 mg of Gabapentin for the nerve pain in my legs which does not help the Allodynia. I have tried Lyrica as well to no avail. I have use Cymbalta in the past, but unfortunately, about 6 mos. in it stopped working. I have also tried Amitriptyline. I began using CBD and I have found that it does help. I currently take 10 mg 5 times per day. I still have horrible nights and am searching for better control. I currently use my Oculus Go when the pain is out of control. I find that after about 10 mins. my pain is bearable and in about 15 mins. I can remove the helmet and begin to move around again.

Living in chronic pain takes its toll on the body so it is crucial to find ways to relieve the pain and allow the body to rest. I firmly believe that I will find the answer. Each day I am given I will keep moving forward even if it is just a baby step. God has continued to heal me, and He gives me strength to face each day. I am blessed to have such a great family who love me and support me every step of the way even on the days I don’t treat them as well as I want to. So thankful for their forgiveness and understanding.

Pietro, M. d. (2017). Allodynia: Causes, types, and treatment. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318867.php.

Roland, J. (2017). Everything You Should Know About Allodynia. https://www.healthline.com/health/allodynia.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Allodynia.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Nociceptor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nociceptor. s

Weekend Relaxation

Aug3

Taking time to relax and rest. After a week of being sick as well as dealing with the daily issue my hubby and I are enjoying visiting our family and relaxing in New Port Beach,Ca. This will be our view for the weekend. Hoping this will bring more healing into my body. Enjoying some of the wonders God has given us!

Feeling Blessed

Jul19

Each morning I wake up is another day on my crazy journey, but most importantly it is a day to “keep moving forward.” Although this may be true, it often gets lost in the frustration of living with chronic illness and pain. For me it takes deliberate thoughts of hope and lots of conversations with God to keep me on the right track. It is so easy to see all the negatives which start bringing me down.  If I continue to let the negative thoughts in, I find that my anxiety and depression creep up. This leads to more difficulty controlling my pain and spasticity. This is not to say that there aren’t real reasons for my increased pain and spasticity, but our minds are powerful.  For example, I know that when I am over-tired or catching a cold, the spasticity in my legs is much worse, making it hard to walk because my legs feel like there are 20 lbs. weights strapped to each ankle and I am walking through thick mud. Let’s face it, when dealing with a spinal cord injury (SCI) you never know what weird thing your body is going to do next.

I have found that when my mental acuity is down it is much easier to get stressed and overwhelmed.  Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial, but often illusive. For me there are several reasons. Pain being one, other times it is that I cannot regulate my body temperature, and/or it maybe I just cannot get comfortable.  I eventually fall asleep but staying asleep it also difficult at times. This is extremely frustrating. I use meditation and prayer to help relax me so I can drift off to sleep. Prayer continues to help me in all aspects of my life.

Sometimes days are just crappie and other days are great even amidst the spasms and pain. Lately, I feel truly blessed because I have had some pretty good days. Yes, my pain has been out of control some nights, but I have still been able to the gym and work out on most days, take care of my family, and have spent time with my mom, my 4 amazing grandchildren, and my smart and funny nephew who calls me grandma. Being able to take the kids back to school shopping or just hang out and watch them swim helps put a smile on my face even when I hurt. I believe that God is watching over all of us and He sends little gifts that get us through.

Virtual Reality (VR) Helps Reduce Pain

Jun28

At about 9:15 pm Wednesday my pain climbing to an 8. I was hanging with the family and my left side just below my shoulder blade began to spasm which then triggered the burning sensation. This was one of those times where the burning rolled down my entire left side leaving me feeling like my skin was being stretched and slitting open. I had taken my night dosages and they weren’t helping much. So with my husbands help I got into bed and placed the VR helmet on and played one of my favorite games Pet Lab.

As I began to play my spasms continued for about 10 mins, but they were not lasting as long and the severity was lessened. I had gone from an 8 to a six . I was immersed in a virtual world of making and train monsters. In Pet Lab you have orders to fulfill. So you take an egg and you follow the recipe on how to hatch the little creature. Once hatched you then take to you mixing room and you add features like change the color of the monsters fur color or had horns. Sometimes you have to increase the little creatures ability and take it to the training room. Once you complete all the pieces to head back to the shop and send it to the individual that ordered it. If you complete the order precisely you earn money which you can then use to buy items for future creature making. As you can tell Pet Lab requires focus.

The focus and immersion cause my brain to change course. The interruption of pain signals helped reduce my pain. At about 15 minutes into the game Wednesday night I noticed that my pain level was reduce from a 6 to 4. At a 4 I was able to take the helmet off, get comfortable in bed and drift off to sleep. I am thankful to have found another tool besides more medications to help reduce my pain. Who knows, maybe overtime the use of VR to interrupt the pain signals will trick my mind to stopping my pain and spasms completely allowing me to reduce the use of opioid medications.