By Forest Tennant, PNN Columnist

Chronic pain patients may now be told by their doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist that they have “central sensitization” (CS). This vague, non-descriptive term is unfortunate in many ways. Nevertheless, it appears to be here to stay. 

Since Intractable Pain Syndrome (IPS) is a far more serious condition that requires an aggressive, multi-component treatment approach, it is essential to know the difference between IPS and CS. 

Going forward, we believe that it will be increasingly difficult to obtain some medications unless you have IPS. Therefore, it is of vital importance to not only know if you have IPS, but you must be able to clearly explain it to your physicians, family and insurance carrier. If you have simple chronic pain or CS, you could be quite limited in obtaining many prescription medications. 

Definition of Central Sensitization: Amplification or heightened pain above what would normally be expected from tissue damage or injury. 

CS occurs when brain tissue starts to alter due to excess electric currents that originate in damaged or injured tissue. Brain tissue alteration is referred to as neuroplasticity. CS can often be recognized if pain advances, because it begins to cause insomnia and requires daily, rather than “as-needed” medication. 

CS is the forerunner or precursor of IPS. Almost all persons with IPS have had or currently have CS. There is a movement among medical practitioners to recognize CS and treat it with drugs like duloxetine (Cymbalta) or pregabalin (Lyrica) to prevent it from advancing to IPS. 

Definition of Intractable Pain Syndrome: Constant, incurable pain with cardiovascular, endocrine and autoimmune complications.

Only some medical conditions cause IPS. The most common are arachnoiditis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, brain injury and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD or CRPS). 

Levels of estradiol and testosterone often go down with IPS, causing symptoms which include amenorrhea in women (missed menstrual periods), impotence in men, fatigue, loss of sex drive, osteoporosis and loss of teeth.

Your autoimmune system will also be affected by IPS, causing elevation of inflammatory markers, cytokines, proteins, and white blood cells.

This could result in symptoms of fibromyalgia, thyroiditis, carpel tunnel syndrome, TMJ, mast cell activation, and migratory joint pains.  

Pain from IPS will cause elevations of pulse and blood pressure. Cortisone and insulin levels will also go up, causing elevations in glucose and cholesterol.

It is up to the pain patient with IPS to educate all concerned parties that their CS has turned into IPS and that it is a serious syndrome with cardiovascular, endocrine, and auto-immune complications. 

Each person with constant pain needs to catalogue the above manifestations and make a record to give to your medical practitioners and pharmacist. If you haven’t had blood tests for hormone and autoimmune dysfunction, you must request these be done. Please review our website and obtain materials on IPS for your medical practitioners and pharmacist. 

Forest Tennant is retired from clinical practice but continues his research on intractable pain and arachnoiditis. This column is adapted from newsletters recently issued by the IPS Research and Education Project of the Tennant Foundation. Readers interested in subscribing to the newsletter can sign up by clicking here.

The Tennant Foundation gives financial support to Pain News Network and sponsors PNN’s Patient Resources section.