Link between Gut Health and Chronic Pain
The link starts with understanding that there is bidirectional communication along the gut-brain axis. If we look at the connection between gut health and chronic pain, it offers significant insight into how your gut dysfunction may be contributing to persistent chronic pain conditions, and vice versa.
An imbalance in the microorganisms in your gut can:
fuel systemic inflammation
worsen pain symptoms
modify pain perception
affect immune function
reduce or increase inflammation
When our microbiomes experience this dysbiosis, from poor nutrition, infections, stress, and more… it feeds into a cycle of stress and inflammation which perpetuates many chronic pain conditions - think migraines, fibromyalgia, and IBS.
Inflammation is necessary and unavoidable though! It is a natural response that allows for healing in the body. However, if it goes unchecked or stays active for too long, it can cause negative effects, such as amplifying pain signals.
HYPERACTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES
One way gut dysbiosis can cause chronic inflammation is when it fails to control misdirected immune responses. We see this in conditions such as allergies, autoimmune, and inflammatory disorders. If there is excessive or persistent signalling from tissue damage (think sinuses, gut, muscles, skin, etc.), a stress-inflammatory cycle occurs.
CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFECTIONS
Sometimes when a viral, fungal, bacterial infection lingers or lies dormant, it can continue to produce inflammatory-mediators and therefore inflammation.
MULTI-FACTOR PAIN
Chronic pain can arise from a single event (traumatic injury, acute stress, internal condition) and can result from a combination of events. A medley of physical, psychological, social, and emotional factors can influence the pain pathways and prolong pain. Pain is a protective mechanism, however when it maladapts due to dysfunction of the nervous system, the sensory pain signals are amplified and it decreases your threshold for pain.
How can we break the cycle?
By preventing acute pain from occurring often and managing it well when it does - as the number of pain sites or pain irritants in the body increase, the risk of chronic pain increases
Acupuncture can help to reduce acute pain, flare-ups, inflammation, and therefore chronic pain
Sticking to a nutrient-dense diet - processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers can cause gut sensitivity - when signals in the gut are disrupted, it can develop chronic pain over time
Managing stress - there are direct connections with the serotonin pathway and stress hormones from gut to brain. Imbalances can amplify sensory signals in the central nervous system and create a low threshold for pain
Preventing and managing pain will look different from person to person. You might require more movement while others require more rest!
The best balance of microorganisms in your GI system will differ from anyone else’s ideal balance too! It is important to manage your stress based on your body’s needs, whether it’s meditation vs. cardio vs. high intensity exercise vs. creativity…
Your ideal diet will be different from anyone else’s - we will look into which foods you may be sensitive to and avoid those until inflammation has settled.
In clinic, we will explore how your symptoms are related and what to focus on, which foods to incorporate, and which lifestyle changes to embrace.
Acupuncture works on the hormones, mediators, neurotransmitters, proteins, and tissues that deal with inflammation, pain, and dysbiosis. Treatments work to break the gut-chronic pain cycle so that you can get back to doing the things you love with more ease.
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