Pain can sometime be very deceptive, almost behaving like a magician doing a sleight of hand trick. The magician directs your attention to where he looks and points, while you are blinded to where the real action is taking place. The fact is, there may be a fire going on in your brain caused


by chronic inflammation. While it may be tempting to stop the inflammation with the latest therapeutic modalities, medications and surgical techniques; when we ignore its underlying cause, the fire often rages out of control or will manifest in a different area.


Chronic Pain Caused by Brain Inflammation The brain on fire is a colorful way to understand the bio-


logical process of chronic inflammation in the brain. This inflam- mation is the fire in the brain that damages the structures and undermines normal brain function. Effects of this inflammation are often experienced throughout


the body. This is done through neuro-dysregulation, a process in which this inflammation interferes with the healthy functioning of the nervous system. This damages the nerve activity in the brain, spinal cord and other nerve pathways throughout the body. As a result, we experience pain. Moreover, when your nervous system is operating sub-opti-


mally, your immune and hormonal systems can become imbal- anced. This in turn can lead to even more complicated conditions. It can cause or intensify physical pain, cause depression and anxiety, or cause brain fog.


Finding the Underlying Cause of “Brain on Fire” The good news is that this fire can be successfully extin-


guished once its underlying causes are identified and corrected. Some of the many potential causes of this fire include


chronic viral infections, insomnia and/or sleep apnea, hormon- al dysfunction, mold-related disorders, Lyme disease, dental conditions, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), celiac disease and heavy metals. Understanding the logic of the body and working along with


it is key to success. When we are exposed to a physical stress, the body mounts an inflammatory response to regain normal function. We can see this in the Gastrointestinal (GI) system. Inflammation of the GI system is believed to be a common


cause of brain inflammation and chronic pain. This is because inflammation of the GI system can results in an inability to digest and absorb nutrients and eliminate toxins. As a result, nutri- tional deficiencies develop. This weakens the immune system and leads to even more pain. Due to the gastrointestinal system’s inability to eliminate toxins, the body tries to defend against those toxins by creating even more inflammation. This inflammation is also an attempt to create a hostile environment for the invad- ing toxins and microorganisms. Unfortunately this inflammation also works to intensify the pain. Since many disease processes share this basic mechanism of pain production, we can understand why the symptoms of many chronic painful conditions tend to overlap. This is why correctly determining its root cause is absolutely necessary for long-term results. Unfortunately many patients are diagnosed with fibromyal- gia, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel disease or chronic fatigue syndrome when these are often only descriptions of symptoms and lab tests, but sometimes give no indication of its root cause. Once given these diagnoses, the search for their root cause if


Dixon & Associates Therapy Services


We look at each patient as a unique individual, not a diagnosis. Personal attention is what our success is based on,


and our whole company is set up to make everyone’s experience with therapy a positive one.


Lori Dixon, OT/L Our Specialties:


Myofascial Release • Chronic Pain • Neck & Back Pain CranioSacral Therapy • TMJ Dysfunction


Women’s Health Issues • Hand Injuries • Orthopaedic Injuries Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) • Worker’s Compensation


We file medical insurance and Medicare • BlueCross/Blue Shield Provider 336.889.5676


204 Gatewood Avenue • High Point, NC 27262 www.DixonTherapy.com


JUNE 2017 9


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