A family traveled from a southern state to New Jersey seeking CRPS treatment. Dr. Jason Cooney’s evaluation led them in an unexpected—but essential—new pain management direction.
Clinical integrity is not measured only by the treatments a provider delivers. Sometimes, it is revealed most clearly in the decision not to continue treatment.
When Jenna and her 17-year-old daughter, Zoey, traveled from a southern state to New Jersey, they were searching for relief from a condition that had been diagnosed as complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS. The family came to Scrambler Therapy NJ with hope that Dr. Jason Cooney, DC, could help reduce Zoey’s severe, persistent pain.
After carefully evaluating Zoey and beginning treatment, however, Dr. Cooney reached a different conclusion: Her presentation did not appear consistent with CRPS, and Scrambler Therapy was not the appropriate treatment for the underlying problem.
Rather than continue a course of care he did not believe would help, the Certified Scrambler Therapy expert stopped treatment. He did not charge the family for the sessions and urged them to return home, advocate for further medical evaluation by a neurologist and continue searching for the correct diagnosis of Zoey’s condition.
A Decision That Helped a Family Find Answers
In a recent five-star Google review, Jenna, Zoey’s mother, described the impact of that decision:
“If you are looking for someone who has your best interest in mind, it’s him. He is kind, compassionate, caring…the list could go on and on.”
After returning home, the family continued pursuing answers. Zoey was ultimately diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury—damage to the communication network that controls movement and sensation in the shoulder, arm and hand.
“If it weren’t for Dr. Cooney, we would not have ever gotten the answers my daughter deserved and needed,” Jenna wrote. “Because of him and his knowledge and care, we are on the road to getting her help.”
Dr. Cooney did not provide the treatment the family originally traveled to New Jersey to receive. Instead, he provided something equally important: an honest clinical assessment and a clear recommendation to look beyond the existing diagnosis.
Why CRPS Can Be Difficult to Diagnose
CRPS is a complex chronic pain condition that may develop after an injury or surgery. Symptoms can include severe pain, sensitivity to touch, swelling, changes in skin temperature or color, impaired movement and other physical changes.
There is no single laboratory test or imaging study that definitively confirms CRPS. Diagnosis is based on a detailed medical history, physical examination and standardized diagnostic guidelines known as the Budapest Criteria. Those criteria also require clinicians to determine that no other diagnosis better explains the patient’s symptoms.
This is important because several orthopedic, vascular, inflammatory and neurological conditions can produce symptoms that overlap with CRPS.
The American Academy of Family Physicians’ clinical review of CRPS emphasizes the importance of considering alternative diagnoses, including localized injuries and conditions affecting sensation and movement.
For patients, the lesson is not to question every CRPS diagnosis. It is to seek a careful, comprehensive evaluation—especially when symptoms, examination findings or treatment results do not follow the expected pattern.
Integrity Before Treatment
Scrambler Therapy is a noninvasive treatment used for certain forms of chronic neuropathic pain. It is not appropriate for every patient or every source of pain.
At Scrambler Therapy NJ, Dr. Jason Cooney, DC, proceeds with treatment only when his clinical evaluation indicates that the patient’s pain is appropriate for the therapy and has a reasonable likelihood of improving. If the clinical picture points elsewhere, his responsibility is to say so—even when a family has traveled a considerable distance seeking care.
For Zoey’s family, that honesty changed the direction of their search.
“Thank you, Dr. Cooney, for everything that you did for my girl,” Jenna wrote. “I won’t ever be able to thank you enough.”
Is Scrambler Therapy Appropriate for Your Child’s Neuropathic Pain?
Every young patient’s pain deserves careful evaluation before treatment begins. Dr. Jason Cooney works with families to determine whether Scrambler Therapy may be appropriate for a child or adolescent experiencing chronic neuropathic pain.
Learn more about Scrambler Therapy for pediatric chronic pain or call 201-933-4440 to request a consultation with Scrambler Therapy NJ.