Man Manages Chronic Pain, Now Fights for Others

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2011 — As accidents go, it didn’t appear to be life-changing.

Finish Carpenter Bob Harris of Akron, Ohio, severely injured his knee when his foot was stuck in a scaffolding bucket on a work site.

That was over 11 years ago when he was 40.

It began a series of events that almost defy reality. Since that day he has undergone 16 surgeries, including two total knee replacements and two total hip replacements, has seen twenty different doctors, and is left a 52-year-old man who fights debilitating pain. He hasn’t worked regularly in nearly eight years.

But don’t think Bob Harris is taking this lying down. He is continuing to fight to get better.

How did all this happen?

"Well, to be honest the first surgeries didn’t work, and so I was limping all day, every day. The more I limped, the more my walking gait changed, which began to throw my hips and my back out of alignment and it just progressively became worse," explained Harris.

Harris also developed a case of what is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS). CRPS is a chronic neurological syndrome characterized by severe burning pain, changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling and extreme sensitivity to touch.

"On a scale of one to ten, my pain was a 15," said Harris.

Four years ago, Harris found himself an Akron, Ohio pain management specialist, Dr. Tony Lababidi, who has given Harris hope. In recent months, Dr. Lababidi has been concentrating on Harris’ painful knee.

"He’s been a godsend," said Harris.

He is trying to get stronger. But the constant surgeries, the pain, the swelling and the sensitivity to touch make life very difficult.

Harris is now able to walk up to two and a half miles each day, thanks to something Dr. Lababidi recommended. Harris is wearing the Empi Active(TM) Knee TENS System, a type of electrotherapy used to treat chronic knee pain. TENS is an acronym that stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, a treatment which delivers electrical stimulation to inhibit pain signals from reaching the brain, which helps reduce the sensation of pain.

Like many pain management professionals, Dr. Lababidi gets to know his patient. Diagnosing and treating pain is not like healing a broken bone. There’s no x-ray to guide the doctor. He or she has to listen and understand what the patient is feeling.

"Honestly, many patients in pain just want to get better. This device can be used rather than narcotics and pills, which is a good thing for both the patient and the physician who treats him," emphasized Dr. Lababidi.

Dr. Lababidi, who has played soccer for most of his life, has bad knees himself.

"I use the device myself once in a while. It blocks pain and feels just like a massage," said Dr. Lababidi, Medical Director at the Comprehensive Pain Management Specialists practice in Akron.

For Bob Harris, the device helps him manage the excruciating pain.

"It keeps the swelling down and allows me to walk and helps me deal with the pain to the best of my abilities," said Harris.

Harris is not only determined to try and improve his health, he also has been working to bring more awareness to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, so much so that he worked to get a bill introduced in the Ohio State Senate on building awareness on CRPS. The bill (S.B. No. 40) was introduced by Senator Eric Kearney and will be heard by the Ohio State General Assembly later in October.

"If I can help just one person avoid going through what I did, it will be worth the effort. We need more education about it for physicians and patients alike," said Harris.

In the meantime, the finish carpenter thinks of a day in the future where all of his surgeries will be done, the pain will have subsided and he can do something that he misses every day.

"I’m really looking forward to getting back to work," Harris said. "It’s been way too long."