Pain and Inflammation: What it is, Why it Matters, How to Prevent it

Most of us with IBS have some degree of pain and inflammation in our bodies at any point in time — even if we have our IBS symptoms under excellent control. This article, written by my amazing sister, Sarah Aitken, RN, MS, WHNP/FNP, and featured in her program, Diabetes Game Changer, is an excellent explanation of what inflammation does to us along with a run down of very practical ways we can decrease inflammation in our bodies. After reading this article, I learned some important things I will incorporate into my life and my practice and I wanted to share it with you so you can benefit from her teaching as well.

Let’s Talk Pain and Inflammation! 

By Sarah Aitken, RN, MS, WHNP/FNP, Diabetes Game Changer Program

I have been a Nurse Practitioner for many years, and during that time I would guess that I have diagnosed hundreds of people with various chronic inflammatory conditions, including Fibromyalgia, Celiac Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and more. These diseases can affect almost any organ in the body, and in most cases more than one organ. 

Classic signs of inflammation include joint stiffness, muscle pain, trigger point pain, bowel problems, rashes, sleep problems, fatigue, fevers, confusion, and memory loss. 

But little known to the lay person are the diseases CAUSED by chronic inflammation, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression, and more. 

In the medical community, we refer to inflammation as “the secret killer.” 

In 1891 American oncologist William Coley noticed a connection between bacterial infections and cancer tumor regression, and he developed extracts of bacteria that he used to try to intentionally reduce tumor size in humans. He called them “Coley’s toxins.” 

Eventually, further research isolated the beneficial component in the “toxin” as a lipopolysaccharide created by the bacteria used by Coley, and researcher M. Shear was the first to demonstrate its ability to reduce tumors in animal studies. 

Today we know that TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) is an extremely important component of our immune system and is critical for protection against infection. 

In addition, we have developed medical therapies that use TNF to reduce tumor size. 

However, TNF is a double-edged sword.

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