As you may have heard, next week we’re talking about chronic pain. By definition, chronic means longer than a few weeks, but in many cases, chronic means years. It breaks my heart when chronic patients walk in the door because if they had gotten chiropractic or bodywork type of care early on in their injury, they probably wouldn’t suffer at all today. And the longer you let something go, well, you know…. the longer and harder it is to fix it.
From a mental/emotional standpoint, the chronic patient is also dealing with anger, frustration, depression, etc. and these flat out depress the immune system, which further makes it harder to heal.
As frustrating as all this is for me, the health care practitioner, what REALLY upsets me is that the paradigm of sickness care in America makes it so that patients don’t realize they have choices AND control until it’s much too late. They trust that the system will get them better, they put their health in the hands of doctors who are overworked and have forgotten basic body mechanics (if they were ever taught them to begin with), and whose only response is often, “Take this and if it doesn’t work we’ll run more tests.” The tests themselves have high false diagnosis rates. Heck, nearly every adult over the age of 40 has a herniated disc somewhere in their back, and MOST of those are symptom free. The reason 50% of disc surgeries fail to correct the problem is because although a disc herniation shows up on MRI, the disc isn’t causing the pain. Another structure, maybe related, maybe not, is causing it.
It doesn’t matter what ails you. Your body is waiting for its healer to show up. And the healer is YOU. Take control of your body. Learn how it’s supposed to work and learn how to help it do so. If your posture is poor, get it analyzed and fixed (before you get arthritis of the spine and the damage is permanent). If you have an autoimmune disorder, learn which foods may cause excess inflammation and get rid of them. Learn how to manage your immunity with meditation, hypnosis, biofeedback, and the like. If you have gastro-intestinal issues, learn how stress affects your digestion and make a plan to manage your stress. Watch your simple carbs, get rid of processed foods, eat whole foods, and learn how the nervous system controls it (stress shuts down your GI tract, did you know?). And if you’re stressed and overworked (who isn’t?) come up with a workable plan to decrease the damage it does to you.
Your body is the most amazing creation. Don’t take it for granted. Be response-able (manage your responses) and take control. Your doctor may guide you, but you must critically evaluate the information you’re given and then take actions that will help you heal.
Listen Monday, April 19 at 11:00 am as Dr. Vicky and I talk more about chronic pain. That’s on AM1380 if you’re local or www.newstalk1380.com if you’re not.
Yours in good health,
~Dr. M
It's A Pair-A-Docs 
I see where next week you are going to be talking about chronic pain. Is there going to be anywhere to find it on-line after the show? I have been suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis pain for years now. Each day gets worse….I have tried all of the oral medications available to RA and for the last 1 1/2 years have been giving myself shots..starting with Enbrel, then Humira and now trying Simponi…I have tried chiropractic, cold laser, accupuncture and massage. I get some (very little) relief from massage. The only thing that helps to control the inflammation and pain is prednisone and the specialists don’t want me to stay on that, but I can not function unless I am on it…I have been taking that for over 3 years now…along with trying all the other drugs. I am eliminated Aspratame from my diet and I am grasping for anything to help relieve the pain. I live in Iowa (I am an old classmate of Dr. Vicky’s 🙂 so I won’t be able to listen to the show, but hope to be able to listen on line somewhere after the show.
Thanks.
Hi Peggy,
First of all, my heart goes out to you with RA. It’s a tough disease, and there are no hard and fast answers.
As for the show, you can listen live online at http://www.newstalk1380.com, or you will be able to download the podcast after the show here on the site. If you aren’t yet a fan on Facebook, find us there, because updates are always posted.
Have you tried eliminating wheat and dairy from your diet? As well as other inflammatory foods? And are you taking Omega-3 fatty acids? (Omega-3’s are naturally anti-inflammatory).
Diet is crucial for RA patients, and there are many medically available supplements that can help. If you have a Medical Doctor or Chiropractor near you who sells Metagenics products, they have an amazing product called Ultra-InflammX. My medical doctor puts all her RA patients on it. If you ALSO have gastro-intestinal issues (bloating, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion) then I can guarantee you have a food component contributing to your pain. If you have other symptoms like swelling in the ankles or headaches, you MAY have a food component (I bet you do).
I’d encourage you to do research on diet and RA, the anti-inflammatory diet, and I’d eliminate ALL processed foods. It’s not easy, but it can make the difference between continuing to suffer and starting to feel better. Finding a holistically minded doctor in your area is also a good idea. They can help you make natural changes and monitor your prescriptions so that as you heal, those can be modified.
I wish you the best.
~Dr. M
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