The following information has been taken from notes as a listener to the show and research, nearly all the words themselves belong to Dr. Victor M. Pedro. I take no credit for these. My goal is to get this non invasive seemingly promising information out so that other’s may find it a hopeful treatment program in their journey with CRPS/RSD, Chronic Pain, TBI’s and other illnesses and conditions.
Yesterday on the Living with Hope Radio show with Featured Host Trudy Thomas and Co Host Barby Ingle . Dr. Victor M. Pedro discussed Cortical Integrative Therapy (CIT®) a technique he uses and developed.
The entire show can be listened to here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thebodymindandspiritnetwork/2013/05/29/living-with-hope-with-host-trudy-thomas The Living with HOPE Show is Sponsored by the Power of Pain Foundation.
Dr. Victor M. Pedro’s career began as a Chiropractor and continued on with a Post Graduate in Functional Neurology. He says ” it was a very good starting point for brain function and innovative treatments that could begin to make a difference in peoples lives. He was fortunate enough to receive grant funding from the Rhode Island Legislature which permitted him to do a variety of studies and to study with significant people to get a more in depth and cutting edge picture of what was available in Neurology and how the brain functioned.
Trudy asked ” Does this therapy work for other conditions other than RSD? Dr. Pedro stated Yes! What he wanted his contribution to be is the person credited with creating an algorithm for understanding where in the nervous system to intervene.”
There are plenty of resources that will explain what a brain dysfunction is or pathology is, disease process or diagnostic procedure to figure out what folks are complaining about.
The rehabilitative model is where the challenge for the future lies.
Barby ask’s “Does every patient have a different algorithm? Or do you find they are similar with the same condition? The doctors answer’s ” By algorithm I mean a process we go about to evaluate what the affliction is or what’s wrong with the patient.”
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Dysautonomias in general are a condition Dr. Pedro has a particular interest in. With this condition he tries to find out how the autonomic system is dis-regulated or not working well and then his team tries to decipher in the patients does this person have Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) because the Sympathetic Nervous System is too high and not being inhibited or is it the Parasympathetic System that’s undergone demise and not effective.
“The treatment is actually different and makes all the difference in the world to the patients outcome, Dr. Pedro say’s.”
Barby ask’s ” Similar to Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) Would there be a different protocol for that?
Dr. Pedro answer’s “A different protocol in terms of how we’re going to add on different diagnostic pieces to the evaluation. Then we begin to identify precisely which modalities the patient needs. A TBI patient may have a similar pathology of an RSD/CRPS patient, may have similar findings, however we may go about the treatment process slightly differently.”
One of Dr. Pedro’s patients and a good friend of Barby Ingle’s just did an interview which will be released in this Saturday’s (June 1, 2013) edition of Pain Pathway’s Magazine. Please look for it!
Physical, emotional and nutritional needs are also taught this during treatment.
The autonomic nervous system delivers fuel to the body and brain. The autonomic nervous system is the automatic part of the nervous system that controls your heart rate, size of arteries delivering blood or fuel to the body and into our brain itself. This part of the body can be evaluated through a series of tests.
Someone with a compromise in their sympathetic nervous system may not have as much profusion as should be present. The long term consequences are considered regarding how this is effecting the tissue and that’s why the trophic changes present in this pathology.
Barby ask’s “Is maintenance treatment required or is this a one time process?”
Dr. Pedro states “The evaluation process takes 2 to 4 hours depending on the patient.” Based not only on tests, but the patients ability to participate.”
At the end of the evaluation we attempt to draw for them what we believe is wrong in the nervous system and make an educated hypothesis as to where the dysfunction is and what can potentially be done to correct it. A series of windows of observation, sympathetic, autonomic windows of observation more appropriately. We identify these at the end of the initial observation and we give the patient a treatment to see if their pain level comes down significantly or at least appreciatively.
That signals to us they are a good candidate for our program.
Dr. Victor M. Pedro is founder and president of Rhode Island Integrated Medicine, located in Cranston, RI. An accomplished, Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist, Dr. Pedro pioneered the development of Cortical Integrative Therapy (CIT®)—a breakthrough, research-based treatment designed to address brain and neurological dysfunction in both children and adults.
After remarkable success using CIT® to treat school-age students diagnosed with speech, attention and learning disabilities, Dr. Pedro applied the treatment for use in patients with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or CRPS, dysautonomias, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Over the years, Dr. Pedro has lectured extensively on CIT® as a non-invasive, cost-effective treatment for TBI, pain syndromes, dysautonomias, and other brain-related disorders.
Cortical Integrative Therapy (CIT®) has been successful in treating a wide range of painful and debilitating conditions including: ADD/ADHD; apraxia; ataxia; chronic pain; dystonia; dysautonomias; hypotonia; memory difficulties; movement disorders; Parkinson’s disease; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)/Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS); RLS; sciatica; traumatic brain injury; tremors; and vertigo, balance, and gait problems. ©Rhode Island Integrated Medicine
Other keywords in the interview- Inhibitory system, Renshaw cells, Autonomics, Small diameter fibers, Dysautonomias, Limbic system, Antonio DeMazio
http://corticalintegrativetherapy.com/ Cortical Integrative Therapy Rhode Island Integrated Medicine- The Brain Rehabilitative Specialists
http://corticalintegrativetherapy.com/blog/ NBC 10 Health Check Special Report: TBI & CIT® March 04, 2013
~Twinkle VanFleet, California State Ambassador Power of Pain Foundation
If I have mis stated any facts or quotes please contact me at: caambassador@powerofpain.org I will make any corrections immediately. Thank you!
Always have faith that a better tomorrow will come. We have to or we won’t survive. The life of chronic pain becomes a family disease. In the last few months we have lost over a dozen people in the CRPS/RSD community. At least half to suicide. Most people do not premeditate their suicide. Many do experience suicidal ideations. It has been noted by professionals that “wanting to die or commit suicide” and suicidal ideations are not the same”. If they were more of us would be evaluated and helped before we get to the point of knowing our pain is never going to managed and into the sudden taking of our own lives. When it happens it is often spontaneous. There will have been signals and signs misread. There is always a cause and there will always be an affect. So many are not afforded proper medical care to reduce pain levels. Opioid medications, such as Hydrocodone, continue to be well versed as a gate way drug to harder and heavier medications such as Oxycodone. It has been said a like a broken record over the past decades that Marijuana and narcotic use causes a person to become high risk for Heroin use. I do not believe this to be true. I do believe it’s possible in some personalities. Addictive personalities perhaps, but this does not include our entire population. I am offended for honest chronic pain patients that need pain care who have been dismissed as drug seekers. I am offended by good providers whose practices have been raided for prescribing Opioid medications.
RSD Advisory- Where Chronic Pain & Depression Collide 