Pain

Pain Is a symptom of inflammation and is the brain- body communication of cell danger and tissue damage. It is probably the reason most people visit a doctor. Pain can be described with a range of quality and quantity. Relief from it ASAP is most likely the immediate goal. The source can be damage to nerves (neuropathic pain), damage to tissues (nociceptive pain) and an altered perception and increased  reaction to a sensation (nociplastic).

In addition to the physical component there is a psychosocial  component  to pain. This creates a biopsychosocial model of pain sources that needs to be considered. Our thoughts and emotions can act as agonist or antagonist to pain. This means how we think and relate to other people can make our perception of pain worse.

An over stimulated inflamed brain contributes an alteration in nerve transmission, which can cause a more severe and prolonged response to many triggers other than cell and tissue damage such as smell, sound and touch. This is called central sensitization. It can be associated with almost any chronic disease that has a pain symptom such as: arthritis, fibromyalgia-chronic fatique, headache, post surgical pain, irritable bowel  and neuropathic

I would recommend a course of action for pain relief that would follow the Naturopathic Order of Treatment.

1. Remove obstacles to health: mindset, poor quality sleep, inflammatory diet, environmental toxins, chronic mental and physical stressors and relationships.
2. Stimulate the healing power of nature: fresh air, sunshine, clean water, movement, whole nutrient dense foods.
3. Strengthen weakened systems: digestive aids, vitamin and mineral and fatty acid supplements. Gently stimulate the body’s energetic  with acupuncture, homeopathy and adaptogenic herbs.
4. Correct Structural integrity using osteopathic  or chiropractic manipulation and physical therapy.
5. Manage  symptoms with natural substances . See my article on herbs for pain.
6. Manage symptoms with pharmaceuticals.
7. High force interventions: chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

Many times mindset is addressed much later in the treatment of chronic disease including pain. Mindset therapies include: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive and Behavioral  Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) and Heartmath. I would add Energy Psychology Techniques: Neuro-Emotional  Technique (NET) and Neuro-Linguistic  Programming (NLP). These deal  with the psychosocial contributions to symptoms of disease. Combining them with removing other obstacles to health and wellness may reduce the need for more complicated and expensive treatment.

James Brent DDs