This is a patient who has mental retardation, progressive cervical myopathy, multiple contractures and now skin pain during my last eval.
Q: Skin is painful to touch on hands, arms, legs, head
Answers (3)
10/17/09 2:27pm
This really sounds like a common condition in fibromyalgia called allodynia. Several studies suggest this can be caused by, among other things, an injury to the spinal cord that interrupts the normal flow of information from the skin to the brain. Apparently it causes the sectors in the skin that transmit touch information to start acting like pain receptors with the terrible consequence that any touch becomes painful.
There are quite a few drugs that can be helpful (even including NSAIDS in some cases). Wikipedia has an excellent article on allodynia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allodynia
10/17/09 2:28pm
Whoops! Forgot to activate that link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allodynia
10/18/09 6:45am
Hi, I have been thinking about my own issues with painful touch--I have to wonder if my disc disease could be cause? I do have Fibro. and other issues so it is hard to separate but I am doing alot of reading this morning and the disc disease sounds very plausable as well..I have to wear a scarf around my neck all year as any air that goes across neck hurts..Simple caress hurts as does air sometimes acorss arm and hands..
I do hope you are able to find answers for your patient..When you do I hope oyu will post the answer here as well..
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By Jan Schaefer— Last Modified: 12/04/10, First Published: 10/17/09
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