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Dear Doctor,
Is there anything naturopathic medicine can do to address chronic
pain?
OW, Billings
Chronic pain is a common issue for many people. It can be
complicated and usually involves multiple contributing factors. Each of
those factors needs to be determined and addressed. Something has become
imbalanced, and the work is to identify which imbalances are present for
each individual. The most common imbalances involve inflammation,
structural problems, nutritional (excess or deficiency), hormonal, and
emotional-spiritual well-being. Because this is such a big topic it will be
presented in two-parts. Today, we will discuss inflammatory imbalances,
with the rest of the response continued in next weeks
article.
Inflammatory causes of chronic pain are many and fall into two
categories: sources of inflammation and reasons why your body isn’t
stopping the inflammation. It is important to remember that inflammation is
one of the ways our bodies heal themselves. Inflammatory products bring
white blood cells and healing nutrients, and swelling stabilizes an injured
area. Since our bodies create inflammation, they also have the capacity to
stop the inflammation. However, if our body lacks the nutrients or hormones
required to stop the inflammation, then inflammation
becomes excessive, causing tissue damage and chronic pain. Additionally,
certain situations, such as autoimmune conditions or repetitive stress
injuries can overwhelm the body’s natural ability to quench the
inflammatory process.
Our bodies reduce inflammation in three main ways: 1) the omega-3
fatty acid biochemical pathway; 2) adrenal production of cortisol; and 3) cellular and dietary antioxidants.
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency is common in a standard American diet. This
is one reason why chronic inflammation is so prevalent. Omega 3 fats are
found in cold-water fish (including fish oil and cod liver oil), grass-fed
beef and wild game, flax oil, nuts, and seeds. The adrenal glands make cortisol, our bodies natural
“cortisone”, along with several other important hormones. Adrenal
production of cortisol can decrease with chronic
depletion, usually due to stress, illness, an overly busy lifestyle,
insufficient sleep, and nutritional deficiency of vitamins C and B5. This
is a very common situation in today’s culture. Adrenal depletion manifests
as fatigue, chronic inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation,
weight gain, and susceptibility to infection. With regard to antioxidants,
our bodies make them to quench the inflammatory process at the cellular
level. Dietary antioxidants also feed this process. Dietary antioxidants
are found primarily in fruits and vegetables. Studies consistently indicate
that those people with higher fruit and vegetable intake live longer,
healthier lives.
Excessive production of inflammation also has many causes. Chronic
infection is one of the most common, particularly sinus, tooth, or
parasitic infection. Gastro-intestinal bacterial balance is extremely
important. A history of antibiotic use contributes to GI bacterial
imbalance, resulting in chronic low-grade GI inflammation and increased
exposure of your immune system to provoking substances. Additionally, food
choices can contribute to inflammation: excess intake of animal products
(meat, dairy, eggs), excess white sugar, white flour,
and any intake of trans fatty acids. Food allergies create constant
stimulation of the immune system in the GI tract. Since the immune system
functions by creating an inflammatory response, eating foods that you are
reactive to creates inflammation. Another significant source of
inflammation is elevated glucose and insulin levels. Even mildly elevated
fasting blood glucose (over 100 ng/ml)
is a source of inflammation. Chronic exposure to chemicals, pesticides,
herbicides, asbestos, or heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, or
cadmium (found in cigarette smoke) creates toxicity, which results in
inflammation. Cigarette smoke (either active or passive) reduces
antioxidant levels, thereby contributing to inflammation. Additionally,
nicotine can aggravate chronic pain due to vasoconstrictive
effects. One study on chronic low back pain showed that every person in the
study had decreased blood flow to the low back. In the practice of
regenerative injection therapy, smoking is one of the known causes of
decreased ability for the joint to heal and regenerate. This is due to a
decrease in both the nutrition and the circulation in the injured area.
Next week we will address additional factors that contribute to
chronic pain, specifically, hormonal imbalances, musculo-skeletal
balance, degenerative arthritis, and nutritional deficiencies. We will also
discuss the physiological mechanism of how emotional and spiritual pain can
manifest as physical pain.
Yellowstone
Naturopathic Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
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