When the pain won’t go away: What could be the problem?

What do you do if your condition is of a “chronic” nature, one that persists for weeks, months, or longer? PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • The conventional, medical approach to treating any inflammatory condition is to use one or a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs: steroids (such as prednisone) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
  • While the nutritional approach seeks to relieve pain and stiffness, and help prevent complications and spinal deformity, it is also concerned with getting to and addressing the root cause of the problem. In my experience, this is the key to successful treatment.

I still have a headache after I spent the night nursing Baby Boy Mukherjee, who is teething.

I know that all I need is an afternoon nap to get rid of the headache, but is some cases, the answer is not quite that simple.

In medical terms, you could classify my headache as “acute”, a condition that progresses quickly, does not last very long, and needs urgent attention.

But what if your condition is of a “chronic” nature, one that persists for weeks, months, or longer?

This is what Joyce experienced. A 44-year-old mother-of-three, Joyce suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a condition characterised by inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of the spine and the joints between the spine and the pelvis (the sacroiliac joints).

As well as pain in these areas, she had also started to experience pain in other joints where the tendons and ligaments attached to bones, such as the knees. Last Sunday, thinking about her made me put my “pain” into perspective.

The conventional, medical approach to treating any inflammatory condition is to use one or a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs: steroids (such as prednisone) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

NUTRITIONAL APPROACH

While they do work, these medications can also have notable side effects, from bone loss to gastrointestinal bleeding.

Furthermore, they do nothing to address the root cause of the inflammation.

You see, as ankylosing spondylitis worsens and the inflammation persists, new bone begins to form as part of the body’s attempt to heal.

The vertebrae start to grow together, forming vertical bony outgrowths (syndesmophytes), which make the back increasingly stiff and inflexible. In the more advanced stages, fusion can stiffen the rib cage, restricting lung capacity and function.

While the nutritional approach seeks to relieve pain and stiffness, and help prevent complications and spinal deformity, it is also concerned with getting to and addressing the root cause of the problem. In my experience, this is the key to successful treatment.

So, what can cause chronic inflammation? Food allergens like wheat and dairy are commonly implicated, but eggs, corn, soy, yeast, and citrus fruits may all also cause problems.

This is where a hypoallergenic diet may help. Another crucial element of any treatment programme would involve eliminating sugar. I cannot begin to explain the numerous negative effects that sugar has on a person’s biochemistry.

I have found that patients who have failed to decrease their sugar intake have taken considerably longer to show improvement.

From the various nutritional supplements on offer, omega-3 essential fats are the ones to pick. Not only can they help to reduce the pain, you also do not need to take so many anti-inflammatory medications, if any. As I have mentioned before, a supplement would be much better, since foods rich in omega-3 are not readily available. Dosage should be at least four grammes daily. 

Is it this a genetic condition?

While ankylosing spondylitis has no known cause, genetic factors seem to be involved. In particular, people who have a gene called HLA-B27 are at significantly increased risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis.

Get yourself tested if you are concerned and start taking the necessary precautions if you do have the gene.