Dr. Tyler Ptacek

12/04/2025

12/01/2025

Driving back from a Nebraska Thanksgiving

My impression:

• Driving with kids 14+ hours is tough.
• This holiday is a great reminder to be grateful for what we do have.
• Food, friends, and family — they’re what make life meaningful.
• The chaos is temporary, but the memories and experience stick.
• And no matter how busy or loud life gets, gratitude always recenters you.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving — here’s to heading into the rest of the year with a full heart!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from our team to yours.
Grateful for the opportunity to care for our community, help people move with less pain, and support patients through some of the hardest chapters of their lives. Your trust means everything to us.

Wishing you and your family a day full of warmth, rest, and connection.

11/27/2025

Case Study – Advanced Care & Ongoing Management

⚡ Some CRPS cases require more than basic care.
A patient with severe CRPS in his hand after a fracture tried therapy and medications, but pain remained debilitating.

Next steps included:
Nerve blocks for short-term relief
Spinal cord stimulation for long-term pain control
Ongoing therapy and maintenance to protect function

👉 With advanced treatments, he’s now able to return to work part-time, manage his pain, and maintain independence.

💡 CRPS can be complex, but there is hope even in severe cases.

11/25/2025

Case Study – Recovery with Basic Treatments
🌟 CRPS doesn’t always mean a lifetime of severe pain.

One of our patients developed burning pain and swelling in her ankle after a simple sprain. She was diagnosed with CRPS Type 1 early.
With:
Regular physical therapy
Desensitization techniques
Supportive medications

👉 She regained strength and mobility within months. Today she’s back to walking daily and enjoying her normal activities.

💡 Early recognition and consistent treatment can make a huge difference.

11/20/2025

A Brief History of CRPS
📜 The History of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

First described during the American Civil War (1860s) when soldiers developed severe, burning limb pain after injuries → called “causalgia.”

Later, similar pain syndromes without clear nerve injury were noted → called “Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).”
Over time, researchers realized these were variations of the same condition.
In the 1990s, the modern term Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) was adopted to unify both.

⚡ Today, we recognize CRPS as a chronic pain condition caused by abnormal nervous system responses, with two subtypes: Type 1 and Type 2.

11/18/2025

CRPS Type 1 vs. Type 2
🔥 Did you know there are two types of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)?

➡️ Type 1 (formerly “RSD”)
Occurs without a confirmed nerve injury
Often follows a minor injury, sprain, or fracture
More common form of CRPS

➡️ Type 2 (formerly “Causalgia”)
Occurs after a known, documented nerve injury
Symptoms can be similar, but linked to direct nerve trauma

👉 The key difference lies in whether a nerve injury is identified.

11/13/2025

Advanced Treatment Options for complex regional pain syndrome
💡 For patients with persistent symptoms, advanced options exist:

Nerve blocks to calm abnormal pain signals
Spinal cord stimulation to retrain nerve pathways
Infusion therapies such as ketamine for severe cases
Intrathecal pumps for targeted pain relief
Emerging regenerative approaches under study

These therapies can bring hope when other treatments haven’t worked.

11/11/2025

Basic Treatment Options for complex regional pain syndrome
⚕️ Managing CRPS starts with early, supportive care:

Physical & occupational therapy to keep the limb moving
Medications for pain and nerve sensitivity
Counseling or support groups for the mental health impact
Desensitization therapy (gradual touch exposure to reduce sensitivity)

These are the first steps in helping patients regain function and reduce pain.

11/06/2025

CRPS by the Numbers
📊 Did you know?

CRPS affects about 200,000 people in the U.S. each year
It’s more common in women than men
Average onset is between 40–60 years old, but it can occur at any age
CRPS is often underdiagnosed, meaning many patients go untreated for too long

Awareness = earlier diagnosis = better outcomes.

11/04/2025

💔 Living with CRPS goes beyond pain.
Complex regional pain can cause:
Trouble walking, moving, or using the affected limb
Sleep disruption from constant pain
Emotional strain, including anxiety and depression
Difficulty working or doing daily activities
Isolation when others can’t “see” the pain

CRPS impacts the whole person — physically, emotionally, and socially.