Back pain, joint pain, knee pain, arthritis and a host of other pain ailments you never have to suffer again by Jaynne Nichols

"The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings." William Hazlitt [1778-1830. British Essayist]

If "The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern..." then what happens when we have back, knee or joint pain?

Did you know that

- 80% of Americans will battle with back pain at some point in their lives?

- 7 million people are treated for back pain every year?

- 2 million new cases of back pain are opened every year?

- $100 billion is being spent annually in medical bills, disability and lost productivity at work?

Pain and Pain Relief is of utmost concern for most of us that are in constant pain.

Why are we in Pain?

Before we can answer this question, we need to understand how the body interprets and handles pain. The pain impulse begins at the point of an injury for example a cut, burn, pinched nerve, bruised muscle etc.

Once the impulse starts, it triggers a number of bio-chemicals to be released at the site of the injury. Some of these bio-chemicals are histamine, bradykinin, prostaglandin, and Substance P. Each of these has one or more effects on the body. And many of these bio-chemicals are inflammatory -- that is they cause the injury site to swell up.

Inflammation is actually a defense mechanism for the body. Inflammation serves to bathe the injury in healing fluids and acts as a cushion to protect against further injury. However. if the inflammation is prolonged or out of control, it can cause destruction. This is what occurs in arthritis where the inflammation actually destroys the joints. Also, inflammation can serve to compound problems by actually causing pain itself.

This explains how an injury causes the body to release a number of biochemicals that can cause inflammation. Another action of these biochemicals, though, is to stimulate the nerve fibers of pain, the C fibers. (The body actually has three types of nerve fibers: A fibers. B fibers and C fibers. The main fibers which transmit the pain impulse are the C fibers.) Histamine, bradykinin, prostaglandins and the other bio-chemicals are actually the stimuli that cause the pain impulse to begin.

Types of Pain Relief

At the site of an injury, whether the problem is pain or inflammation, the pain impulse can be interrupted by:

"Decreasing the levels of the "pain" bio-chemicals or

"by blocking the nerves of pain - the C fibers.

With that in mind, it would make sense to use a painkiller that can do both of these. Aspirin and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as ibuprofen and Motrin decrease the prostaglandins. This can result in decreased pain and inflammation, especially if the prostaglandins are the main causes.

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BIO:

Jaynne is an instructor at the local community college. She is also a former skipatroller and thus very interested in health issues. Read her latest article right here:

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