Identifying and Managing Pain and Inflammation
We all have felt pain in our bodies for one reason or another. Although pain makes us feel uncomfortable, it serves a purpose. Pain happens for one simple reason: to protect you. If your brain registers pain, you typically stop doing what caused it. Pain is the body's way of letting you know that what you are doing is harmful, and that you need to stop.
There are two types of pain: acute and chronic pain. Acute pain is short-term pain, usually what you experience after some sort of accident or injury, like breaking your arm or dropping a can of soup on your foot. Once that injury has healed, your pain disappears and does not require further treatment.
Chronic pain is persistent pain, which can be caused by conditions like fibromyalgia or arthritis. People with chronic pain need long-term treatment and therapy to manage their pain. They feel pain differently and process those pain messages differently from acute pain because of their sustained experience with pain.
The chemicals released by the body when an injury occurs or when the body has other abnormal processes taking place, can actually make changes to the nervous system. The types of changes they make are related to the type of pain you feel.
Normally, the central nervous system automatically inhibits unpleasant sensations like pain. But with chronic pain, the nervous system's function is altered and becomes more sensitive to pain. The nerve cells in people with chronic pain may become so sensitive that the brain perceives even a gentle touch as pain.
Inflammation is the body’s natural immune response to injury, infection, or toxins, designed to protect and heal tissue by deploying white blood cells and signals to the affected area. Like pain, there are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic inflammation. It causes redness, heat, swelling, and pain to neutralize threats. While temporary (acute) inflammation is essential for repair, long-term (chronic) inflammation can harm healthy tissues and drive diseases like arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.
Managing pain and inflammation involves a combination of an anti-inflammatory diet, regular low-impact exercise (walking, swimming), getting enough rest (7-9 hours of sleep), and stress management. An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, nutrient-dense foods that reduce chronic inflammation, primarily featuring fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), leafy greens, berries, olive oil, nuts, and colorful vegetables.
If you would like to learn more about how to use foods to manage pain and inflammation, you can read the following articles from Harvard and Johns Hopkins Medical Center:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/anti-inflammatory-diet
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Dr. Desmonette Hazly MA, MSW Ph.D
Dr. Desmonette Hazly MA, MSW Ph.D., is an Integrative Health Specialist and is the Chair of Integrative Health and Wellness at the Institute of Integrative Oncology/Greet the Day. She holds graduate degrees in social work, public policy and a Ph.D. in International Politics and Policy with a focus on community development and global health. Dr. Hazly currently develops and implements trauma-informed culturally inclusive health and wellness education programs based on Lifestyle and Mind-Body Medicine, Culinary Medicine and Nutritional Psychiatry. Receiving specialized education and training from institutions which include Harvard, Stanford, Yale and Cornell universities, Dr. Hazly approaches health and wellness from a mind, body and spirit perspective and provides simple health and wellness skills and techniques that can be easily incorporated into daily activities. Dr. Hazly is also a formally trained chef and received her Graduate Advanced Culinary Medicine and Applied Nutrition certification from the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and teaches specialized community integrative nutrition courses that support mental health and prevent and manage chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
Dr. Hazly has developed and implemented community health and wellness program locally, nationally, and internationally and has collaborated with the LA County Departments of Mental and Public Health, Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Glendale Public Library, the VA Hospital in West Los Angeles, UCLA and USC Medical Centers, International Red Cross, the United Nations, and UNICEF. Dr. Hazly has taught integrative health and wellness education for over 20 years.