What began as a seemingly minor accident turned into a life-altering diagnosis for Stephanie Baez: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
FAYETTEVILLE, AR, UNITED STATES, January 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Stephanie Baez’s story, recently featured by ABC13 and 13abc, sheds light on a condition that remains widely misunderstood by patients, families, and even many medical professionals.
CRPS is often described as pain that doesn’t make sense. It can follow a fracture, surgery, or injury that appears healed, yet the pain intensifies rather than resolves. As Dr. Katinka van der Merwe explains in her book, CRPS behaves like “an uninvited bully quietly taking possession of your body,” inflicting relentless suffering that is often invisible to the outside world. She is the founder of The Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
CRPS Diagnosis: When Pain Has No Clear Explanation
Stephanie’s journey mirrors what many CRPS patients experience: months of confusion, escalating symptoms, and skepticism from the healthcare system. According to reports, she struggled to find answers while her pain worsened, burning, spreading, and interfering with daily life. This delay is common. CRPS patients frequently navigate an exhausting maze of specialists before receiving a diagnosis, if they receive one at all.
Dr. Katinka notes that CRPS patients are often forced to become their own advocates. “Who is responsible for your health? You are,” she writes, emphasizing the importance of understanding symptoms and refusing to accept dismissal when pain is very real.
CRPS Treatment: Addressing the Nervous System, Not Just the Pain
Most conventional approaches focus on suppressing pain signals. But as Dr. Katinka outlines in her work, numbing pain does not address the underlying neurological dysfunction driving CRPS. The condition involves a global imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, affecting circulation, temperature regulation, digestion, mood, and even sensory processing.
“Don’t treat or suppress the pain,” Dr. Katinka explains. “Treat the cause of neurologic dysfunction.” This philosophy reframes CRPS treatment as a whole-body process rather than a single intervention.
CRPS Recovery: Reclaiming Life from the ‘Monster’
Stephanie’s progress represents something many CRPS patients are told is impossible: meaningful recovery. Her story underscores a core message from Dr. Katinka’s book, that CRPS is not a hopeless disease. While recovery looks different for every patient, regaining function, reducing pain, and restoring quality of life are achievable goals when comprehensive care addresses the nervous system.
Dr. Katinka writes that helping people with CRPS is her life’s mission, calling it “a burning flame of passion.” She has witnessed patients return to work, reconnect with loved ones, and rediscover purpose after years of suffering.
Turning the Lights On: Why CRPS Shouldn’t Stay in the Shadows
CRPS thrives in silence and misunderstanding. Education, early recognition, and informed care matter. If you or someone you love is living with unexplained chronic pain following an injury or surgery, learning more is the first step forward.
To explore patient stories, educational resources, and Dr. Katinka’s approach to CRPS, visit the Spero Clinic website. No one should have to fight this battle alone, and understanding is where recovery begins.
Kaylie Crane
The Spero Clinic
+1 918-812-2816
email us here
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