How You Think About Pain Affects Your


Pain Response By Tamara Sachs, MD


perpetuated by infl ammation, molecules that tell nerves and the brain that there is a problem. Chronic pain is also a subjec- tive perception, how we think about pain affects our pain. In the past few years, medicine has made pain the “5th vital sign.” When we focus on the pain, and when healthcare providers continually ask someone what their pain level is, we inad- vertently perpetuate the patient’s pain, be- cause what the brain focuses on becomes more real. Although well intentioned, this new “vital sign” was introduced at the same time that Big Pharma told doctors that narcotics were not addictive. Those two things together pushed doctors to treat pain more aggressively than ever before, with the tragic consequences we are now experiencing as a nation.


C Pain is NOT a Vital Sign


Unlike pain, when a true vital sign is too high or too low, you die. You still have vital signs when you are asleep or uncon-


hronic Pain is an entirely differ- ent beast than acute pain. Chronic pain comes from the brain and is


scious, but you do not have pain. Pain re- quires consciousness and is subjective, not objective. It is also important to note that 75% of asymptomatic people over age 50 have MRI abnormalities, including bulging discs and stenosis that look like they would cause pain, but do not. MRIs may be easily overread or misinterpreted in chronic pain patients. It is critical to understand what is and what is not abnormal. Additionally, being told and shown a picture of a physi- cal and permanent abnormality as a cause of pain makes it much harder for some to change the brain’s perception of pain, and it may even ensure its chronicity.


Infl ammation and the Brain


The longer chronic pain has existed, the more comprehensive and individualized the treatment plan needs to be, but two key ar- eas that must be addressed are infl ammation and the brain. Many chronic pain sufferers learn how to perceive their pain differently. Pain is always worse when you don’t know why it hurts because that’s scary. When you understand why there is pain, when you know its source and what will and will not


happen as a result of the pain, your nervous system calms down. Adrenaline and cortisol go down, infl ammation goes down and that, in fact, reduces pain.


Techniques for Pain Perception The techniques that help with pain


perception include meditation, mindful- ness, hypnosis, guided imagery and cogni- tive behavioral therapies. These all help to decrease the brain’s perception of pain and dampen the nervous system’s response to pain. Other approaches that are useful in re- ducing chronic pain include: FSM (Frequen- cy Specifi c Microcurrent), acupuncture, LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone), CBD, medical cannabis and low light laser, to name a few.


I have had great success with FSM,


which is a unique energy resonance treat- ment especially useful in fi bromyalgia, post-concussive fi bromyalgia and in chronic nerve pain (where nothing else seems to work). FSM has given impressive and last- ing results for many of my patients with a variety of chronic pain syndromes. It can be used to reset brain pathways as well as lower infl ammation. LDN works in the brain to promote healing and improve immune function. It has been life-changing for many of my patients and very useful as an adjunct in the treatment of most of my other patients with pain syndromes.


tsachsmd.com 18 Natural Nutmeg - September 2019


Muscle spasms release chemical me- diators that perpetuate infl ammation and pain. Gentle exercise or daily movement is crucial, and therapeutic massage, chiro- practic care, craniosacral therapy and other bodywork techniques are an important part of healing. Fascia is still a poorly understood system, but is an important part of infl am- mation and healing.


As with any disturbance in the body, the basics: sleep, diet and nutrition, a


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