Understanding AMPS: A Guide for Parents

Understanding AMPS: A Guide for Parents

By: Chelsea Mihm, DPT

When your child is in pain and no one can quite explain why, it’s frustrating, confusing, and deeply emotional. Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) is a condition that can leave both children and parents searching for answers. This guide is designed to help parents better understand AMPS, how it affects children, and the steps that can be taken to support recovery.

What Is AMPS?

AMPS (Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome) is a chronic, non-inflammatory pain condition affecting muscles, bones, joints, or related soft tissues. The key to understanding AMPS is knowing that, the pain is real. It is not “all in their head.” Your child’s pain may not be caused by injury or disease, but that doesn’t make it any less valid, or any less intense.

The Science Behind the Pain

To understand AMPS, it helps to know how pain works in the body.

Normal Pain Cycle:

  1. Painful stimulus occurs
  2. Nerves send a message to the brain
  3. Muscles react
  4. Blood vessels constrict to manage blood flow
  5. The cycle ends when the pain source is gone

AMPS Pain Cycle:

  1. Painful stimulus occurs
  2. Nerves and brain overreact
  3. Muscles react
  4. Pain cycle repeats, even after the danger is gone
  5. The cycle never “shuts off,” leading to continuous pain

This false alarm system creates a loop of pain, reduced blood flow, lactic acid buildup, and more pain, making AMPS especially difficult to manage without targeted treatment.

Key Characteristics of AMPS

  • Persistent or recurring pain
  • Pain not relieved by typical medications
  • Lasts longer than 3–6 months
  • No clear medical cause
  • Disproportionate pain compared to any known injury
  • Allodynia: pain from non-painful stimuli (e.g., light touch)
  • Hyperalgesia: extreme pain from something that’s normally just mildly painful
  • Changes in autonomic functions (like temperature or color of the skin)

How Is AMPS Treated?

The Best Approach:

  • Physical Therapy (PT)
  • Occupational Therapy (OT)
  • Counseling

Medications are not the primary solution. The focus is on restoring function, not just reducing pain.

Key Goals:

  • Get back to daily life
  • Improve function
  • Reduce the focus on medical treatments
  • Build resilience and coping skills
  • Aim for complete or near-complete recovery

The Role of Physical Therapy

We ask one central question: “What does your child want to get back to?” Pain may not disappear right away, but function improves first. We celebrate small wins, walking to class, playing with friends, or helping at home.

Final Thoughts

AMPS can be challenging, but it’s not permanent. With the right approach and consistent support, kids can get their lives back. “I can do hard things.” This mindset, paired with a structured treatment plan, can lead to lasting change and even full recovery. You’re not alone on this journey. And most importantly, neither is your child.

Discover How Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Counseling Can Support AMPS Recovery in Greater Charlotte
Is your child struggling with Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS)? At Child and Family Development we specialize in holistic, evidence-based care to help children and teens manage AMPS through personalized physical therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling services. Our expert team in the Greater Charlotte area is dedicated to improving function, reducing pain, and empowering long-term wellness.