Posts Tagged ‘pain’

Pain relief and pain management are different. Finding the right combinations of complementary treatments is far superior to the medical route.  As far as the medical way most people have been there and done that.

Free To Choose

Real pain relief requires having a new perspective. I know it is easier said than done. There is virtually no instantaneous relief when treating the cause and not the symptom. There are a broad range of modalities, which can help heal the body. This puts in motion a permanent solution. With a holistic view you become a partner in the solution. This presents the best opportunity to maximize the results.

The Steps

Separating the steps for both efficiency and safety should be a dual goal. The ultimate destination should be a reduction in pain, until it becomes non-existent. The only barrier to achieving this would be a lack of motivation.

To break the dependence on pharmaceutical dependency, and dramatically see results: use some new tools. There are many sources of pain. The real problem is when the pain becomes chronic. Once pain lingers for awhile the chance of it becoming a regular occurrence increases.

The first step is to realize that the body can get use to caring pain signals, even if the cause  of pain is gone. Inflammation plays a major role and not only causes pain, but helps the body hold on to the signal.

The first step is diet related, a diet that is high in refined processed food loaded with sugar is the reason inflammation takes hold and persists. This means that food choices, supplements, phytonutrients, and herbs play a role in relieving inflammation. This is turn relieves pain. The appeal of this is it helps with core issues.

The other modalities, acupuncture, naturopathic remedies, reflexology, and upper cervical chiropractic care. The one that gets to the core of the problem is upper cervical chiropractic care, it is basically going to balance your nervous system.

Pain Amplification Syndrome

Pain amplification syndrome is when the nervous system gets use to carrying pain signals and does so when the cause of the pain is gone. Pain signals can become embedded in the spinal core, as a memory. Different traumas turn on the pain signal, and mobilizes our internal resources. When the trauma is resolved the alarm goes off and than the pain dissipates. Sometimes the alarm stays on and a loop is created between the nervous system and the brain. The nerves keep firing and sending electrochemical signals to the brain, and they are interpreted as pain.

This syndrome has significantly increased over the last 10 years. The numbers of adults with  pain amplifications syndrome have become the third-largest patient group in specialized rheumatology clinics.

Pharmaceuticals

Painkillers have become one of the most overused pharmaceutical. The maintenance dose doesn’t always offer relief, and regular increases in dosage isn’t the answer. This type intervention offers few benefits on a long term basis. Some of the side-effects are stomach bleeding, kidney damage and nutritional deficiencies.

Natural Treatments

I am a fan of natural interventions, because I have seen them work.  There is a different function of natural interventions, which has been lost on modern medicine. The fundamental difference is the way they meet the challenge. The best practice is to eliminate the cause, and do this by understanding the underlying cause, other wise you are swimming “upstream” with the current against you.

Fibromyalgia patients need more than pharmaceuticals. What is needed is a solution, and the only way to find it means knowing the cause. If there ever was a condition crying our for a natural solution this is it.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition that has a profound impact on one’s life. The range of symptoms are so great than everyday living becomes a chore. From constant pain, interrupted sleep, fatigue, sore muscles, headaches, irritable bowel, anxiety and depression the condition is takes away any feeling of well being.

The fact that this is diagnosed in females aged 20 to 50 years of age doesn’t help. Until the pharmaceutical companies found a drug for this condition, most doctors thought of it as either a psychological problem or an imagined one. Now, it has an official diagnosis, which requires that there are a certain number of designated tender points that are extremely sensitive to pressure induced pain.

Pharmaceutical Solution

Pharmaceutical solutions can be anything from antidepressants, painkillers and anticonvulsants. Lyrica is an anticonvulsant and the first medication approved by the FDA  specifically for fibromyalgia. The list of medications for this condition has become quite long. Cymbalta and Effexor Cymbalta and antidepressant approved by the FDA to treat fibromyalgia pain, Paxil and Zoloft for sleep, wellbeing and pain relief. Elavil and other trycyclin antidepressants are often prescribed. This has side effects such as weight gain, dizziness and fatigue.

With all these drugs complete relief from the pain isn’t always possible. That is why the natural route seems a good way to find a solution.

Natural Approach

There are ways to restore normal function. Emerging evidence is being to see fibromyalgia as a metabolic condition. One of the areas being look at is how this condition is tied to low thyroid function. The evidence is pointing in that direction. Right off the bat there can are some overlapping symptoms that makes this well worth looking into. More women that men suffer from both hypothyroidism and fibromayalgia. The fibromyalgia symptoms are usually more severe, but they both create havoc in the patients life. From fatigue, depression, digestive issue and muscle weakness both conditions are debilitating.

Vitamin D Deficiency

There is a link between fibromyalgia and vitamin D deficiency. Muscular pain and weakness can be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. What studies show is that Fibromyalgia sufferers have deficiencies of calcium and serotonin. These contribute to the depression, since vitamin D helps create serotonin, the feel good hormone, this vitamin is extremely important. Serotonin helps you sleep better, and reduces grain fog, depression and anxiety.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which helps your muscles relax. The Mayo Clinic has identified a relationship between low levels of vitamin D and chronic pain.

Ribose Supplementation

D-Ribose is a 5-carbon sugar (unlike 6-carbon glucose sugar), directly involved in the production of “ATP”. The body uses this sugar for energy production. Many patients that supplement with D-Ribrose have experience significant improvement. This is especially true in muscle strength. Patient’s with fibro reach the anaerobic threshold in their muscles earlier. Their muscles get tired faster and are using less of the available energy. Ribrose increases the muscles energy pool which reduces the metabolic strain in affected muscles. This allows the patient to resume activities that tired them out before.

Restoring Health

The way to restore your health naturally, means seeing that you aren’t deficient in either nutrients or hormones. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a powerful antioxidant, which helps restore energy in the form of adenosine triphospate (ATP). This is deficient in people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Physical activity provides some pain relief along with improved sleep. There are many people that see benefits of a diet consisting of vegetable juicing, fruits, seeds, and barley grass juice. A whole food diet is essential to healing.

The one modality I don’t want to leave out is Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. Many patients were able to resume their full activities after treatment.

Mysofascial pain syndrome (MPS) which is also labelled chronic myofascial pain (CMP) a condition that features chronic ongoing pain. Known also for localized painful lumps or nodules in body’s muscles or connective tissues. Trigger points or pressurization points are what distinguishes this from other types of painful conditions.

Mysofacial pain usually occurs in isolated areas and the spots are varied. The symptoms are usually localized. However, the pain is steady, aching and deep so that the quality of life is compromised. Sleeping problems and general fatigue are some of the not so localized problems. Myofascial pain doesn’t resolve even with the use of ice, heat, and rest.

Trigger Points

There are many factors that go into the formation of trigger points. The mechanical or structural ones are: posture, work habits that cause repetitive strain, trauma and being out of condition. Nutritional status plays a real role in this and is usually not addressed. This makes sense since many people are deficient in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Inflammation and Stress

Inflammation and stress contribute to this type of pain.What causes inflammation is a diet high in sugar and corn syrup. The fact is a diet high in sugar depletes necessary vitamins and minerals. People that suffer with myofascial pain are usually deficient in minerals such as boron, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc. Vitamins A, B6, B2, E, C, D3, folic acid niacin, niacinamide, pantothenic acid are also on the low end. Nutrients such as glucosamine, chondrotin, grape seed extract, quercetin, DHA and EPA (omega-3-fatty acids) and GLA are also in short supply.

All diets high in alcohol, caffeine, sugar and process  foods reduce the level of ones metabolism, it becomes difficult to keep trigger points deactivated.
Diets high in alcohol, caffeine, sugar and processed foods cause irregularity in one’s metabolism, making it difficult eliminate the pain.

Stress depletes nutrients and at the same time cuts circulation that makes for tense muscles and tendons. For faster healing you need increased circulation nutrient dense nutrition with some exercise to help with stress levels.

Hypothyroid problems or glandular imbalances will interfere with the metabolism in the muscles. Low thyroid function, hypoglycemia, anemia, estrogen/progesterone imbalances and high uric acid can cause noticeable symptoms.

What Helps

This is why massage therapy works so well. Using different techniques like muscle keeping and compression lessens muscle tension. This increases circulation and helps the body get rid of toxic material. It also helps with tissue repair and aids in healing. Massage Therapist that incorporate Nuro-Muscular Therapy, Myofascial Release and Lymphatic Drainage can provide relief for chronic myofascial pain.

Also, this may be why acupunture shows some promise in relieving myofascial pain, it improves the flow of vital energy or chi throught the body. Another useful tool is a battery-operated TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit.

Since stress causes muscle tension, and muscle tightness the above will help with relaxation. Since sedentary lifestyle and poor sleep are co-factors that affect muscles by causing both stiffness and weakness, it is important to realize how powerful relieving stress and improving nutrition is when dealing with mysofascial pain.