Either we ourselves have experienced chronic pain or we know someone who is. The most common reason anyone visits a healthcare professional is pain. What is typically done about it?
NSAIDs (over-the-counter pain killers) are currently the number one treatment, with more than 30 billion tablets sold every year. But did you know that by conservative estimates about 16,500 people die every year from NSAID-related gastro-intestinal bleeding? And that doesn’t even touch the number of new liver and kidney problems directly related to NSAIDs.
From 1999-2003, research reveals that COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex injured 160,000 and killed 26,000 to 55,000 people. These facts are a bit scary, to say the least. The problem is that these drugs do relieve pain, and since no one wants to be in pain or even has time to be in pain, some of us believe these drugs are our only choice.
Before we get into what can be done, let’s figure out how chronic pain actually works. All of our tissues (excluding articular cartilage, and parts of our spinal discs) contain nociceptors (sensory receptors that trigger the feeling of pain). There are certain chemicals that stimulate these nociceptors. They are the same chemicals that drive the inflammatory processes (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, norepinephrine, and so on). Certain events, whether dynamic or repetitive, will initiate, prolong or create susceptibility to chronic pain. These underlying causes can be structural, metabolic or even emotional.
On a cellular level, the problem is too much intracellular (inside the cell) calcium. Now, calcium is a good thing to have in your body, but not good if it gets stuck on the inside of your cells. The mitochondria, a.k.a. energy producers of the cell, are supposed to be pumping that calcium out of the cell. If the mitochondria don’t have enough energy (ATP), they cannot pump out the calcium and you end up with chronic tight muscles, achiness all over, nerve-type pains and other problems, and thus, CHRONIC PAIN.
Most people diagnosed with fibromyalgia have this very cycle going on. So then, by taking NSAIDs or other medications, we end up covering up our symptoms, but not actually fixing the problem.
All right, so what on earth can be done to fix this vicious cycle?
1. Potential triggers must be removed. These are anything causing structural, metabolic or emotional stress.
2. Changes to your diet are essential. Foods high in antioxidants (fruits and veggies) are needed, while steering clear of acidic foods (red meat, sugar, caffeine and dairy).
3. Arachadonic acid (part of the inflammation cascade) needs to be displaced with foods high in omega-3s (deep sea fish and flax are the best sources).
4. An organic diet and minimal microwave use are both very important for minimizing toxin exposure.
5. A low glycemic diet. (Do a google search for glycemic index and you will find a list of foods to enjoy).
6. A proper liver/gall bladder, and intestinal cleanse or detox.
7. Make sure your spine is properly aligned. Your nervous system controls your entire body and is housed inside your spine. Your nerves need to be free of interference in order to properly control your pain.
If you are catching your pain early enough, the things mentioned above will surely keep you pain-free. If your pain has been going on for quite some time, and you have been using medications to control it for more than a couple weeks, your system may need additional support. Talk to a nutritionally-certified healthcare provider about your options for nutraceutical support in order to stop the pain cycle and fix the problem. As always, I am available to answer specific questions. There is truly no reason for anyone to be in pain.