Is it possible that a simple sound can hurt you? That the sound of a bird singing in the yard can make you scream out in pain? That's the reality of having CRPS. Here's how the Spero Clinic helped Heather get her life back.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR / ACCESS Newswire / June 11, 2025 / For 14-year-old Port Elizabeth teenager, Heather Botha, that's a yes. Suffering from a rare, neurological disorder, the slightest sound would send her into a spiral of pain so severe that doctors have likened it to childbirth.
A woman climbing after CRPS recovery.
After navigating countless treatments, her doctors were even convinced Heather was imagining it. "I was told that it is all in her head; one specialist even said she is crying out for attention," Heather's mother, Hayleigh, recounts. "But I know my daughter. I knew something was wrong."
Finally, a scan established that Heather's condition was all too real. She was suffering from a neurological disorder, called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) - a chronic condition that often worsens over time. In Heather's case, she ended up wheelchair-bound and unable to use her legs.
Sadly, traditional medicine has no answers for CRPS. But lucky for Heather, the Arkansas-based Spero Clinic, does.
The Curse of CRPS
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain disorder that can develop after an injury, surgery, a stroke, or a heart attack. It primarily manifests in the arms and legs. Aside from intense pain, the main symptoms are swelling, loss of range of motion, temperature changes, and changes in the skin.
Studies have indicated that CRPS is associated with a malfunctioning autonomic nervous system, resulting in disability, impairment, chronic pain, and functional loss. Untreated (or, in many cases, mistreated) CRPS can lead to permanent changes in the skin and bones, and damage to the optic nerves and digestive system.
The Road to Recovery
Where the medical profession had provided no hope for Heather's recovery, The Spero Clinic welcomed her with open arms. She began treatment with repairing and reactivating specific nerves, in particular the Vagus nerve, which is the single most important nerve inside the human body. Soon, recovery set in and resulted in less pain, improved flexibility, and a new hope for a normal life.
Healing From Within
The Spero Clinic's treatment program, developed by its founder and CEO Dr. Katinka van der Merwe, focuses on restoring flow, tone, and function to the Vagus nerve and thus the central nervous system, so that holistic healing can occur from within.
This treatment has been proven 100% safe, effective, and with no side effects. More than 84% of Spero's patients have walked out of their doors - fully healed.
While her journey was long and difficult, Heather can now live her life to the fullest and without pain. Together with the hundreds of other Spero patients who have regained their future, Heather is inspiring CRPS patients around the world not to give up hope.
If you or your loved one suffers from symptoms of CRPS, visit The Spero Clinic's website or call (479) 304-8202 for more information.
Contact Information
Kaylie Crane
Director of Patient Enrollment
kaylie@thesperoclinic.com
479-482-0080
SOURCE: The Spero Clinic
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/alleviating-the-pain-of-crps-gave-heather-her-life-back-the-spero-cli-1038516
