Maintaining a strong immune system is essential to combating serious illnesses and staying healthy. However, many people dont know that their immune systems can actually be directly affected by chronic pain. Chronic pain is a continuous pain in the body that usually lasts longer than 6 months. This type of pain can remain even after the injury or ailment that originally caused it has fully gone away. Chronic pain is a widespread ailment, with more than 3 million Americans suffering from it each year. Not only does chronic pain make everyday life more difficult but it has recently been found that chronic pain can lead to changes in the immune system. Because of this, it is important to understand how and why chronic pain affects the immune system, and how to treat it.
What You Need To Know About Chronic Pain
Effects On The Immune System
Chronic pain appears to be able to reprogram the way in which genes work in the immune system. Chronic pain doesn’t just change the way that DNA is marked in the brain but also in T cells, one of the major components of the immune system. It’s still unclear how much these changes affect the way T cells fight off infection, but there appears to be a direct correlation between chronic pain and the strength of the immune system. Additionally, the experience of continuous pain triggers a stress response, and if not treated, can lead to a state of long-term stress in the body. These stress responses bring a rise to cortisol levels, a hormone that has been linked to immune system function decline. Because of this, chronic pain should be treated as soon as possible to prevent a decline in overall health.
Natural Treatments For Chronic Pain
A popular remedy for chronic pain that many people use is fish oil supplements. Inflammation plays a large role in chronic pain and fish oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. These supplements offer a natural alternative to serious prescription painkillers which can have negative side effects on the body.
Exercise is another great way to reduce chronic pain. However, it’s important to understand which exercises will best treat your pain as some strenuous exercises can overload the body and lead to further injury. When you work out, the body produces natural painkillers called endorphins. Endorphins are a hormone that increases pain threshold by interacting with brain receptors. Through a mix of exercise and fish oil supplements, some people may be able to trea their chronic pain and protect their immune system.
Pain Relief Treatment In South Florida
Living with chronic pain is difficult and it can greatly limit what your body can do. If you suffer from chronic pain and seek joint pain relief or any other musculoskeletal pain relief treatment, contact BioCure. We provide sciatic nerve pain treatment, hip pain relief, back therapy, and much more. In order for your immune system to function properly and keep you healthy, the rest of your body needs to be feeling its best as well.
