“I still remember a neurologist saying my CRPS was a life sentence and that I would live with this pain forever. My husband and I rejected that prognosis.”
Deryn Feria
In our continuing series revisiting previous Calmare warriors, we checked in this week with Deryn Feria, who injured her toe in 2017 and faced increasing sensitivity and pain instead of recovery. After using a walking boot and having the foot in a cast, the source of her pain was diagnosed as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
The busy working wife and mother of two children was debilitated by the pain sensitivity of her foot; wind and even loud noise further exacerbated the pain, which was typically at a 10/10. “Eventually, I could only stand for a few minutes before the pain became intolerable,” Deryn recalls.
Rejecting a spinal stimulator recommendation
“I tried a myriad of therapies and medications and nothing offered sustained relief, including 18 nerve blocks over time,” Deryn recalls. In fact, her pain management specialist said the only treatment left was to have a spinal cord stimulator implanted into her back, which she immediately rejected.
“My husband heard many good things about Calmare Therapy and we finally went to see Dr. Cooney in New Jersey because all the traditional pain management efforts had failed. We were out of options. He seemed to have the most experienced in the country treating CRPS.”
“By the time I arrived at Dr. Cooney’s office, the pain had spread from my toe up to my knee, so I feel like I started treatment in the nick of time,” Deryn recalls.
“Deryn made a smart move by aggressively seeking pain management for her CRPS early after her diagnosis,” explains Dr. Michael Cooney. “We’ve seen that the quicker patients seek pain management, the faster they achieve and sustain successful pain relief.”
Reducing an intolerable 10/10 pain level to a 0-2/10 pain level
After completing the 10-treatment series, she was able to taper and ultimately discontinue using numerous prescription medications. After this process was completed, Deryn reaped the full benefits of scrambler therapy. She then returned for Calmare booster treatments and saw even more pain reduction, averaging 0-2/10 on most days.
Now four years later, Deryn continues to be fully functioning without any CRPS medication. She finds that the more physically active she is, the less discomfort she experiences. After a recent toe re-injury, she is considering returning for a booster treatment, but the pain is manageable for now.
“My biggest hope is that more people debilitated by CRPS will try this therapy,” she says. “It’s really unlike anything else out there and it’s non-invasive. I feel it is a missed opportunity for many who are skeptical or scared to try it.”
To find out if Calmare Therapy may be right for your chronic pain condition, we offer no-fee phone or video consultations with Dr. Cooney. Call our clinic at 201.933.4440 or email us here. We’ll reply to your message within 48 hours.
