What causes amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome in children?

What causes amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome in children?

The initial cause of AMPS is often an injury or illness that causes pain, such as breaking a bone, straining/pulling a muscle, or a soft tissue injury such as a burn or cut.

In AMPS, there can be an interruption or short circuit in the usual path that pain takes after an injury. Pain normally travels from the site of the injury, through the spinal cord, and up to the brain. In a child who has AMPS, this route is interrupted and the pain signal goes to the autonomic nerves, which control involuntary movements such as breathing.

When the pain reaches the autonomic nerves, they react by constricting (tightening) the blood vessels, which cuts off the flow of blood to these parts of the body. At the same time, there is a buildup of the waste product lactic acid, which is produced when there is a lack of oxygen. These factors combine to cause pain that is more intense (amplified).