How Do I Manage My Pain?

June 2008

We feel pain because some agent is stimulating the “pain” receptors in our skin or body. Most of the time we know exactly what that agent is – physical trauma. However, as we grow older, other things may cause us pain due to peripheral neuropathy (PN). Neuropathy is a term that simply means that something is seriously interfering with the normal metabolism and physiology of a nerve cell. PN means that there is neuropathy outside of the brain and spinal cord. Other causes of PN besides physical injury are parasites, bacterial and viral infections, malnutrition, autoimmune disorders, inherited conditions, toxins, environmental stressors and the result of diseases like diabetes.

Pain is always the result of inflammation. Nerves are very “fast” metabolizers and need lots of energy and oxygen. Inflammation directly causes a reduction of oxygen and energy in tissues. Thus, the first thing that we need to do is to get rid of the inflammation! The second is to work on getting rid of the cause of the inflammation.

Low-level laser acupuncture therapy is a very effective means of reducing inflammation. It shortens the inflammatory phase, accelerates the repair process and stimulates the remodeling of tissue after injury. It also has been shown to stimulate the secretion of substances within the body that play a major role in the mechanisms associated with pain reduction. Low-level lasers are very safe and are non-invasive.

Acupuncture (both traditional and low-level laser) and Oriental herbology are geared to dealing with PN and the causes of PN in whatever form. Oriental herbology is quite an advanced study (over 4000 years) and herbs are a natural resource. The combination of acupuncture and Oriental herbology is tailored to the signs and symptom that each person displays. Thus, the treatment for any individual person is unique to that person according to their signs and symptoms. The course of treatment will change to follow how the person is responding to the prescribed treatment according to the changes in the signs and symptoms.

Acupuncture and Oriental herbology are a very safe, inexpensive but quite effective in dealing with all of the aspects of pain. It is the preferred method of pain management since they treat the root causes of pain and PN, not just the symptoms.