Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be a debilitating disorder that seems to come and stay for no apparent reason. Difficult to diagnose and lasting for months on end, it can drag you down making you feel miserable, irritable and cranky. If you find yourself suffering from pain for longer than 3 months you should seek treatment as you may be suffering from chronic pain.

Chronic pain is different to acute pain because there isn’t always an obvious cause. Thorough examination can reveal that there is no apparent cause for the pain. It is a debilitating condition that can cause so much discomfort to the sufferer. Although the pain cannot be attributed to an injury scientists believe that for some chronic pain sufferers, the pain may well have begun with an injury. Repeated pain from an acute injury may re-wire the messages in the brain so that the pain messages are replayed over and over again, even long after the injury has healed. Other theories suggest that chronic pain sufferers have a multitude of causes for their symptoms. If this is the case it is important to identify as many causes as possible and treat each symptomatically. Lifestyle and diet changes play an important role in recovery and are probably the easiest to manage. Allowing the sufferer to take an active role in the healing process by implementing these lifestyle changes is also beneficial to the recovery process.

Diet and exercise play a very large role in recovery of chronic pain. Certain foods increase inflammation such as animal fats as they break down into a fatty acid that encourages inflammation. Replacing pro-inflammatory foods with anti-inflammatory foods such as fish, whole grains, legumes, nuts fresh fruit and vegetables will reduce the dependence on anti-inflammatory medications.

Food intolerances and allergies can exacerbate the inflammation. Common allergens include gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and peanuts. Removing the suspected food from the diet is a conclusive way to test for an allergy or intolerance but this should be done only under professional supervision. Eliminating a potential allergen from the diet completely can make the allergic reaction much worse if and when it is ever re-introduced into the system.

Reducing alcohol consumption or abstaining completely will also reduce the symptoms. Chronic pain sufferers should consider a holistic approach which means plenty of water, a balanced diet, and regular exercise coupled with reduced fat, sugar and alcohol consumption. Supplementing your diet with good quality multivitamin and mineral supplements will also help on the road to recovery. Other natural remedies will also be helpful and should be tailored to the specific needs depending on the nature of the condition and the symptoms experienced.