Helping patients with chronic pain is a clinically rewarding part of my practice and something I write about periodically. Anytime I can find something that might ease a person’s chronic pain, it needs to be shared.  When looking at and dealing with this issue, the more tools you have at your disposal, the more likely you will be successful in its treatment.

Chronic pain is a common, complex, and distressing problem that significantly impacts society and individuals. It commonly presents as a result of an injury or a disease; however, it is a separate condition in its own right, not merely an accompanying symptom of other ailments. 

Pain affects all walks of life, but the incidence is in the following categories; increased age, women, adults who had worked previously but were not currently employed, adults living in or near poverty, and rural residents.

In 2021, an estimated 20.9% of U.S. adults, or 51.6 million people, experienced chronic pain, and 6.9%, or 17.1 million, experienced high-impact chronic pain, which results in substantial restrictions to daily activities.  The estimated cost is more than $700 billion per year, composed of direct health care costs, work days, missed hours lost, and lower wages. The cost of pain was more than that of heart disease and cancer treatments.

Chronic pain affects a lot of people. In working with patients in their 20s or 30s and younger, I always cringe, knowing they may have to deal with this for the rest of their lives. I can’t even begin to imagine what it is like to have a pain level of 8 all day, not knowing if it will ever improve. This thought is one reason I am always searching for tools to help patients overcome their pain.

Several years ago, I ran across a concept from chronic pain specialist Dr. Pradeep Chopra which he refers to as the NC10 theory on managing pain. This theory looks at using multiple modalities or forms of treatment to achieve a result with the hope that each one of these treatments creates a 10% reduction in pain. When we stack these treatments using 5 or 6 modalities, we can see a 50-60% decrease in pain.

For a person suffering from chronic pain at a level of 9-10, having pain reduced to ½ to 4.5-5 would greatly benefit their quality of life. The NC10 theory also works to help patients wrap their heads around taking multiple dietary supplements when they are already on a host of medications to not only treat their pain but also for other underlying conditions they might have.

What can you do to help treat your chronic pain? First, look at your lifestyle; what are you eating and drinking?  Do you get enough exercise and sleep?  What are some ways to decrease stress if that is a concern?  These are things that I talk about repeatedly in my articles and something that you can change today. Putting only healthy food and liquids into your body, moving 30 minutes 5 times per week, going to sleep consistently, and doing some deep breathing are all simple ways to start leading you down a better path for overall health.

I mentioned earlier tools that can be used in this chronic pain battle: conventional prescription medications, compounded medications including pain gels, nasal sprays, low-dose naltrexone, dietary supplements, and CBD oil. All have a place and can be valuable tools in this battle.

Dietary supplements are as simple as their name. They supplement your diet. You may not need to take a dietary supplement if you eat fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many, so dietary supplements can be helpful.

I like to list the supplements in order from an effectiveness standpoint and a cost standpoint because knowing that you will get the most bang for your buck is essential. So here is my list; Vitamin D, Magnesium Glycinate, Omega 3 fatty acids, Multivitamins, Curcumin, Pro-resolving Mediators, PEA, and CBD oil. (please call for recommendation on the last two products)

I just spoke with a middle-aged gentleman with arthritis and chronic pain issues. We discussed vitamin D and omega 3’s because both can easily be tested at a reasonable price and if the levels are not optimized, they can add to inflammation and pain. Vitamin D and omega 3’s are two of my favorite supplements for pain and inflammation because they can be monitored to ensure the levels are at an effective dose.

Inflammation should be on everyone’s radar, and if you want to extend your health span, the time throughout your life when you are healthy and can do the things you want, you will want to work to lower the burden of inflammation.

Another essential supplement for pain management is PEA, an acronym for PalmitoylEthanolAmide, which is a bioactive lipid that plays a crucial role in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and is responsible for promoting balanced systems, including the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The ECS helps promote relaxation, healthy inflammatory responses, and joint comfort. The ECS is the same system that is affected by CBD.

In the biological response to inflammatory markers, PEA is produced naturally in every body cell. Supplementation with PEA promotes joint comfort and flexibility by supporting healthy levels of mast and glial cells during the stress response. 

It is often hard to explain how a supplement works without getting too deep into the mechanism of action, but here is what PEA does: it promotes healthy inflammatory markers, supports joint comfort, and may improve quality of life. These are all great things that can help in dealing with chronic pain. 

My staff and I would like to help you with questions and recommendations that can be used in helping you deal with chronic pain and inflammation; call to schedule a consultation. Please visit my website at www.irsfeldpharmacy.com to find this and other archived articles in the blog section.

Until next time be vigilant about your health!!