Chronic pain is a kind of life burden that none of us would wish on our worst enemies.  It can be relentless and it can send you down a road of medication and surgeries that create an ever-worsening loop of hopelessness.

But in a human body, there is always hope.

There is always hope because the human body is hard-wired to heal.  In fact, much of the source of chronic pain involves the body’s attempt to heal: inflammation.

Inflammation is one of your body’s primary immune responses to the need for healing.  When tissue is damaged, immune cells are sent to that area to clean up debris and substandard tissues, and in the process generate heat or inflammation.  This is a good thing.  This is an essential thing.  And it often hurts.

Now when the need for healing is ongoing or chronic, that inflammation also becomes chronic and that means the pain becomes chronic.  This may be the time when your doctor begins to talk to you about using anti-inflammatory medications.  Supressing or shutting off the inflammation will make the hurting stop. But perhaps a more important question might be: Why is the need for healing chronic?

There are many reasons for a chronic need for healing depending on the “injury.”
Sometimes the “injury” is being caused by our daily food choices.  If our food is filled with irritants such as pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, etc., etc., in some bodies, that alone can accumulate and cause chronic levels of generalized “toxicity” in the body.

Sometimes our diet and lifestyle choices can cause an ongoing burden to the liver which is then unable to complete all of its jobs fully.  Much like a septic system that isn’t working properly, the liver is unable to de-toxify the body sufficiently and again as toxicity increases, the need for ongoing healing/inflammation increases.

Sometimes our body suffers an external injury and then due to internal conditions is unable to heal that injury thoroughly. Sometimes a disease has progressed to a state where it is causing a on-going need for healing.  On and on.

The specifics of chronic pain are nearly unlimited, but you will never want to wish away inflammation.  That would be wishing away your immune system which is your body’s design for protecting you from your environment and your own life choices.

Dr. Dell offers individualized consultation tailored to your own chronic pain story.  These appointments are conducted via skype or telephone so your location is never an impediment.