On November 11, 2014, my life was forever changed.  While at gymnastics practice that evening, I was involved in an accident that caused an avulsion fracture to my left ankle.  For most people, injuries such as I sustained, heal.  For myself and some others, they do not.  What followed was a diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)—a rare, chronic, and exceedingly painful life long condition which is poorly understood by the majority of the medical community.  

Few people diagnosed with CRPS ever recover; they end up permanently disabled and in constant anguish.  CRPS pain feels like being hit with a baseball bat over and over again while at the same time being dipped in hot oil and set on fire.  It is impossible for most people to understand the extent of the pain.

My journey to remission has taken me to multiple doctors in multiple states over the course of the last two years.  In August of 2016, I found a doctor in Texas who knew how to restore me to health.  It is a process, but every day I am healing.  

I know first hand what it is to go from complete and utter despair to being in the process of restoration.  In a place once covered in darkness, I now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Every day I walk forward in faith knowing God will restore me completely.  Because God has been so profoundly gracious to me, I am deeply moved to help others.  

Pairing this personal experience then with my love of learning and discovery, I am determined that my life shall affect others in a positive way.  I am passionate about becoming a physician.  My heart’s desire is to help those with CRPS have the hope of achieving remission.  

Besides being a clinician, I imagine myself as an advocate.  As a physician advocate, I will strive to bring awareness of this condition especially to other physicians and also to the public in general.  This is a necessary step in dealing with this disease as the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is often well over a year and this delay results in a poorer prognosis.  

CRPS can affect anyone: young or old, male or female, wealthy or poor.  It is a condition which is poorly understood by the medical community and because of that people with CRPS are often marginalized.  After all, not many doctors want to face patients who they do not know how to help much less cure.  But I have been through it and I have been helped.  Now it is my turn to offer the hope of healing to others.

Essay: VECTTOR Interferential Therapy

I have tried many types of treatments for my condition--Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)--but nothing has helped me like the VECTTOR therapy system.

VECTTOR treatments are a form of electro-stimulation based upon acupuncture, physiology, cellular physiology, and anatomy designed to stimulate the nerves to produce certain neuropeptides essential for optimal functioning of the body. These neuropeptides are vital for increasing circulation to the skin, bones nerves, muscles, and for reducing oxidative stress. The VECTTOR system is designed to read feedback from the body via skin surface temperatures, throughout the treatment process.

While the treatment is running, VECTTOR is constantly monitoring the skin surface temperature looking for an increase in temperature indicating an increase in circulation. VECTTOR runs through a series of frequencies, looking for an increase in skin surface temperature of at least 1 degree Fahrenheit. Once VECTTOR determines which of the various frequencies created the best response, it will automatically run that frequency for the duration of the treatment.

VECTTOR is a form of electrostimulation, however, traditional electrostim is designed to treat localized areas of the body, such as back pain. With traditional electrostim, the stimulation is applied to the muscles surrounding the affected area.
VECTTOR is designed to utilize acupressure and acupuncture points to stimulate the nerves to create vital neuropeptides which allow for increased circulation throughout the body. VECTTOR does not stimulate the muscles. The frequency utilized by VECTTOR is extremely low; much lower than the level necessary to affect the muscles.

VECTTOR also uses feedback from the body to ascertain whether or not the appropriate protocol (electrode placement) is being used. If the response is good, the skin surface temperature increases, indicating that the circulation is improved. If the response is not sufficient, VECTTOR will prompt the user for a different protocol for the next treatment.

This treatment will make a huge impact if it is used by more doctors; currently only a handful of doctors use it since it is very new. This treatment, unlike most modern pain treatments, not only bypasses the use of pharmaceuticals--which generally are more short-term solutions and do not work well for chronic conditions--but it also heals the body instead of just masking the pain. Because of this treatment, I have been able to go to college and pursue my passion of going to medical school so I can continue my doctor's legacy and help spread the word of this wonderful treatment that will forever have changed my life.