Gabriel_6.2015By Dr. Michael J. Cooney, Clinical Director, Calmare Therapy New Jersey

A child from here in New Jersey who battles RSD, Gabriel, first came to us as a 9-year-old in December 2013 with severe RSD in his legs. Unlike most of our patients, he did not have a specific injury or surgery that initiated his pediatric chronic pain condition.

Prior to coming to Calmare NJ, he was treated by a rheumatologist, an orthopedist and his pediatrician. His full body CAT scan and MRI were both negative.

His doctors were unsure how to treat his pain. Prior to his mother discovering Calmare in a magazine article, Gabe underwent three painful nerve blocks and was prescribed a number of painkilling drugs, including Gabapentin.

Youngster cannot attend elementary school due to RSD/ CRPS symptoms

Eventually, Gabe was unable to attend school, play soccer or do karate. Even at such a young age, his RSD symptoms mirrored an adult case:

  • Skin discoloration
  • Allodynia (sensitivity to touch)
  • Chronic pain of varying levels of severity
  • Loss of mobility
  • Reliance on crutches to walk

Gabriel_age11_12.2013In 2013, Gabe arrived here and would be the youngest patient we had ever treated using scrambler therapy.

I had a good feeling that we could help Gabe after the first treatment. In fact, after just six sessions, Gabe was pain-free and put his crutches away in the trunk of his car and headed back home to share the great news—and resume the normal life of a young boy.

2014: Three booster treatments sends his pain back into remission

While some fortunate people never experience any significant recurrence of pain after scrambler therapy, some patients experience a recurrence months or even years later, particularly if their case was severe or they suffered with the condition for a long period of time.

In Gabriel’s case, he pain returned about 10 months later. His mother wisely brought him in for treatment. In May, he had two consecutive boosters (1 per day over two consecutive days) and in September he had one more session.

2015: One booster treatment sends his pain back into remission

Nine months later, Gabe was having some pain and wanted to begin using his crutches again. His wonderful Mom brought him in and this time, he only needed a single booster treatment to eliminate the pain.

One note, after his initial treatment cycle in 2013, his RSD skin conditions never returned.

Why I love my job

After just one treatment lasting about 35 minutes, this bright and funny 11-year-old boy confidently walked out of our office (without crutches) ready to face the summer of 2015.  Pain-free.

Would you like to talk with someone from our team about your RSD / CRPS or other chronic pain condition? Email us at CalmareNJ@gmail.com or call us at (201) 933-4440.

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