Featured on The Pod of Inquiry | Season 7, Episode 71.png)
A 15-year-old athlete becomes incapacitated with pain after a series of accidents and minor trauma to his leg. Twenty doctors later, he's still told "learn to live with the pain." Then everything changes.
This episode tells the story of Alex, a high school student whose world collapsed after developing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). What makes this case extraordinary isn't just his recovery, but how it challenges everything we've been taught about treating CRPS.
A Story That Could Change How You Think About "Untreatable" Pain
For two years, Alex couldn't walk without excruciating pain. His foot changed colors. He became numb. Most devastating of all, he lost hope.
Multiple specialists at top institutions delivered the same verdict: "This is CRPS. All we can do is treat this with medications, therapy, and stimulators. You will need to learn to manage the pain."
But Dr. Lee Dellon and Dr. Eric Williams saw something different. After a consultation, they identified what others had not discovered: multiple peripheral nerve compressions masquerading as a systemic pain disorder.
Why This Episode Matters
For Medical Professionals: Is CRPS always CRPS? What happens when "conservative" care mantra fails patients?
For Chronic Pain Sufferers: Discover why nerve entrapment might be your overlooked diagnosis and a driving force of suspected CRPS
For Families: Hear Amy's powerful advocacy strategies that saved her son's life
For Everyone: Witness how proper diagnosis can transform despair into hope in days
The Breakthrough Moment
When Dr. Lee Dellon, a pioneer of the peripheral nerve world, and Dr. Williams, a fellowship trained peripheral nerve surgeon, physically examined the patient searching for evidence of nerves in the region of this patient's pain that were injured and compressed enough to cause severe symptoms, but healthy enough to not show up on traditional electrophysiologic testing identified what was felt to be the "driving factor" as the cause of the patient's pain. Diagnostic nerve blocks were also helpful in providing further information and support of the suspected part of the diagnosis and providing the evidence needed to have the courage to move forward with surgery, when others had discouraged surgery.
Today, 14 months later, Alex is off all medications, back at school, and is a competitive fencer whose footwork amazes athletes with decades of experience. He graduated high school and is heading to college.
Featured Guests
Dr. Lee Dellon - Pioneer in peripheral nerve surgery, mentor to hundreds of surgeons
Dr. Eric Williams - Plastic surgeon with fellowship training in peripheral nerve surgery
Alex & Amy Lukas - Patient and mother sharing their journey from despair to recovery
Luiann Dellon - The neighbor who connected the dots and changed everything
What You'll Learn
Some "CRPS" patients who have an "unknown" cause of their pain may actually be due to treatable nerve compressions or injuries
Why multiple nerve entrapments can mimic systemic disorders
The helpful role of diagnostic nerve blocks
When surgical intervention may be very helpful
Advocacy strategies for navigating complex medical cases
A Message of Hope
If you or someone you know has been told to "live with" chronic pain, this episode offers a different perspective. Sometimes the answer isn't managing symptoms—it's finding the right surgeon who looks beyond the label to discover what's really causing the suffering.
This isn't just another medical case study. It's evidence that questioning medical dogma, seeking multiple opinions, and refusing to accept "there's nothing more we can do" may change your life.
Don't let anyone tell you that hope is off the table.
Listen to the Full Episode:
https://podofinquiry.com/2025/09/crps-surgical-success-story/
Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon, and TuneIn
Share this episode with any family dealing with chronic pain. As Amy says, "You never know who knows who"—and that connection might change everything.
