Amplified Pain Syndrome-An Insupportable Assumption

Amplified pain syndrome (APS) is a diagnostic label used to encompass a broad spectrum of chronic, idiopathic pain conditions that can affect children. They include fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, headaches, diffuse widespread musculoskeletal pain, and functional stomach pain. The common theme uniting this hypothetical spectrum is said to be “central and/or peripheral sensory pain amplification.” Currently, there is no agreement as to causative mechanism, pathogenesis, or even the criteria used for the diagnosis of these conditions. Notwithstanding these major nosological and epistemological deficiencies, APS seems to have been accepted into the taxonomy of pediatric pain medicine. In this Viewpoint, our aim is to show that APS is a flawed construct that has the potential to stigmatize children presenting with severe and disabling pain.