John Crampton closed his eyes and recalled the days when his hands were as busy as his razor-sharp mind.
Today, though, he battles chronic pain. An ocean-floor accident in Mexico that left him motionless from the neck down several years ago, continues to hinder his movement.
“Paralyzed for five days,’’ Crampton said of the accident. “After 28 days (about 4 weeks) of intense therapy, I was able to walk out of a facility in Arizona that I was first airlifted to and come home. But there have been issues since. I burn from my toes to my neck all the time. The more I move around the more it hurts. My feet feel like they are in the middle of a bonfire.”
Another incident in June of 2023 took things to another level, leaving ligament damage in both shoulders, wrists, and forearms.
Today, Crampton, who is both witty and to the point, fights his pain with the help of twice-weekly therapy sessions at Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Silvis, Illinois-based clinic. He is quick to sing the praises of Rock Valley therapists Christen Behm, OT, OTRR/L, CRT, Katie Finch, PT, DPT, and Holly Wilkinson, PT, MPT, OCS, TPS, ACEEA.
Crampton, just recently, was able to raise a gallon can of lacquer over his head, a task he says never would have happened if not for the magnificent work from Behm, Finch and Wilkinson, respectively.
In addition, Crampton, a United States Army veteran, has benefitted from the Empowered Relief program brought to life by Wilkinson, a three-decade therapist and a Rock Valley cornerstone.
“I’m just now turning my wrist,’’ said Crampton, who began building houses locally at age 14, and has been responsible for over 1,000 homes built in the Quad Cities. He also played a significant role in 1,500 apartment/condominium units coming to life, a large shopping center and many other projects vital to the growth of the Quad-Cities.
“I still can’t use a hammer or a screwdriver, but I have had great help with Rock Valley,’’ Crampton said. “Katie (Finch) has been amazing, so has Holly in all she has done for me. And Christen is just tremendous as well.’’
Wilkinson, seeing and knowing of Crampton’s struggles, made it a point to involve the local construction legend in her May 2024, Empowered Relief Symposium. Empowered Relief has game-changing possibilities in the world of dealing with pain.
Empowered Relief is an effective nonpharmacologic pain relief option that is low-cost, low-burden, and accessible, brought to life by Beth Darnall, PhD, a professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, and director of the Pain Relief Innovations Lab at Stanford University.
Used as a single-session intervention that rapidly equips individuals with effective pain relief skills, Empowered Relief consists of a two-hour class led by clinicians certified in the program that educates patients about pain neuroscience, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
They are taught a set of self-management skills to help identify patterns of distressing thoughts and emotions related to their pain, as well as how to reframe those patterns to reduce distress with relaxation response exercises and self-soothing action plans.
Wilkinson, ever compassionate and forever seeking ways to better the lives of those she serves, is offering a third Empowered Relief Symposium. This one will be Aug. 10, from 8-10 a.m. at the Silvis Rock Valley site (902 Illini Drive). This gathering will be directed slightly toward veterans. Crampton is a United States Army veteran, having served from 1966-68.
“I had been listening to a podcast titled “Pain Reframed’’ and they were talking with Beth Darnall who is the developer and researcher of the material,’’ Wilkinson said as to how she learned and took the steps to certification in Empowered Relief. “She (Darnall) is a pain psychologist at Stanford University who has had a persistent pain experience of her own. Prior to hearing the podcast, I was quite familiar with the challenges of persistent pain – one-in-three struggle – and had already been certified as a Therapeutic Pain Specialist. Beth offered a certification class during the San Diego Pain Summit which was a continuing education seminar I attended. Following the class I saw the possibility in providing an option to folks who often struggle to find ways to address their pain other than medication.’’
In addition to ongoing therapy with Rock Valley, Empowered Relief has worked in offering Crampton relief from his constant issues.
“I follow the steps and I get to a point where there is no pain,’’ Crampton says. “It works. For me, though, each time I get to that spot – where my mind is floating, and I am pain free – the dog will jump in my lap. Or the doorbell rings and the FedEx guy or the UPS guy will show up with something. I just need to get to a point where I can just stay with it for an extended period. I’m proof it works, I just need not to get interrupted.’’
Wilkinson says Empowered Relief locally is in its infant stages, yet she has plans to continue to share and afford as many as possible the opportunity to benefit from such an amazing way of handling pain.
“The hope is to reach as many folks as possible,’’ said the ever-energetic Wilkinson. “So far this year we have reached almost 50 individuals and I look to try to provide the class four times a year. Beth and her team continue to train presenters to teach the material and are continuing to investigate the positive effects in as many populations as they can. We know that the experience of pain is both a physical and emotional experience – yet most of the time in healthcare the physical component is the only component addressed.’’
Rock Valley Physical Therapy thanks John Crampton and all our veterans for their service. We invite all to join in the 12th annual Trinity Freedom Run on Thursday, Aug. 8, at 6:30 p.m. Join Rock Valley team members from our Moline-based Avenue of the Cities clinic, which continues to be a proud sponsor of the event.
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Storyteller