Childhood Behavioral Problems Linked To Chronic Pain In Adulthood

It is well-known that there is an association between childhood behavioral problems and psychological problems later in life such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder and the like. However, until recently, there has not been a clear link between childhood behavioral problems and chronic pain in adulthood.

In a recent study, British researchers analyzed data gathered from following over 20,000 children beginning in 1958. This group, or cohort, was periodically assessed at different times over the course of over 40 years (at the ages of 7, 11, 16, 42, and 45 years). Behavioral data was gathered by using standardized measures and questionnaires; specific behaviors such as restlessness, stealing, obedience, lying, and bullying (among others) were looked at.

The study revealed that there indeed seems to be a link between severe behavioral disturbances in childhood and chronic pain in adulthood. For instance, the risk of having chronic pain at age 45 doubled for those individuals whose teachers had reported severe "persistent" behavior problems at ages 7, 11, and 16 years.

The mechanism for this association is believed to possibly be something called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Basically the HPA axis is a signaling system between brain structures (hypothalamus and pituitary) and the body (adrenal gland).

The HPA axis is intimately tied in with both emotions and stress on the one hand, and physiological responses on the other. In other words, it is a major "bridge" between the mind and the body, and as such is a good preliminary candidate for the link between childhood behavioral patterns and chronic pain later in life.

It is possible that in children with severe behavioral problems, HPA axis function becomes disturbed early-on, leading to persistent physical problems later in life. It is important to note that this is a very preliminary conclusion; there may be much more going on here, and further research is certainly needed..

Source : http://blog.seattlepi.com/bodyandmind/archives/198276.asp

Natural Treatments & Home Remedies ( Session-1 )

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar may be a staple ingredient in most kitchens, but did you know that this is a great natural remedy for heartburn?

If you are experiencing heartburn, it could be due to overeating, stress, indulging on too much spicy food or having too many trips to the refrigerator to steal a snack or two at midnight.

Rather than taking your typical dose of antacids, you can down a spoonful or two of apple cider vinegar.

What this does is to break down the excess foods that you have consumed and restore the normal balance in your stomach.

2. Natural Oils

If you feel a headache coming on, try rubbing lavender or peppermint oil on your temple.

You can also apply the soothing natural medication on your neck – and sniffing its aroma may actually lessen the pain that you are feeling – as indicated in science of aromatherapy.

Another type of natural oil that you can use to treat toothaches is clove oil. That shooting pain on your gum is no fun at all and while you are waiting for your dentist to address the problem, place a couple of drops of clove oil on your tooth and gum.

Another alternative is to bite on a crushed garlic clove, which has antibacterial properties.

3. Green Tea

Yet another natural treatment that you can use as a substitute for antihistamines is green tea.

When you have this habit of reaching for the really strong prescription medications like antihistamines the minute that even the mildest of allergies attack – it will actually cause your body’s immune system to get weak.

As such, it pays to go for natural and body-friendly treatments like green tea. Down two to three cups of this soothing beverage when you have an allergy attack and wait for this natural wonder to work.

In addition to being a natural antihistamine, green tea also has the following benefits to your health:

Lowers the blood pressure and prevents hypertension.
Provides protection against cardiovascular diseases.
Protects against certain types of cancer.
Speeds up the body’s recovery after a heart attack.
Thins the blood and helps prevent blood clotting.

4. Cayenne Pepper

Although cayenne pepper puts the sizzle and spice in most foods, it can be actually soothing when used as a natural remedy for cuts.

Aside from stopping the bleeding immediately, sprinkling cayenne pepper on the affected area will actually ease the pain.

5. Flaxseed

Women who are experiencing discomfort due to undergoing the menopausal stage will be glad to know that there is a natural remedy for it: flaxseed.

Hot flashes are a particularly common problem for menopausal women and flaxseed can effectively prevent this.

All you need to do is mix about 1.4 ounces of ground flaxseed into the foods that you are eating and it will relieve menopausal symptoms as effectively as prescription medications.

MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROMES

Fibrositis (fibromyalgia syndromes, myofascial pain syndromes) are a group of disorders characterized by chronic widespread aches and pains in the muscles, muscle sheath and connective tissues of tendons, muscles, bones and joints, with associated tenderness.
The pain and stiffness (fibromyalgia) may affect the whole body or may be restricted to certain parts of the body, as in myofascial pain syndromes. Fibromyalgia throughout the body is more common in women than in men. Men are more likely to develop myofascial pain or fibromyalgia in a particular area e.g. a shoulder ,from a work related or sports  muscle strain injury.
It is a common condition seen in 4 to 11% of the population and is  more prevalent in women. It can  affect any age group. It is not serious or life-threatening, but persistent symptoms can be very disruptive.

Causes

Unknown. However, fibromyalgia may be triggered by mental or physical stress, inadequate sleep, an injury, exposure to dampness or cold, certain infections and possibly related to imbalance in brain chemicals or auto-immune disorder.
It is not a psychological disorder.

Prevention :
Avoid risk factors when possible.
Get adequate sleep.
General conditioning exercises

Scorpion venom could replace morphine as painkiller I

Scorpion venom is notoriously poisonous but it can potentially replace dangerous and addictive painkillers like morphine, says a new study.

Michael Gurevitz, professor, Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) Department of Plant Sciences, is investigating new ways for developing a novel painkiller based on natural compounds found in scorpion venom.

These compounds have gone through millions of years of evolution and some show high efficacy and specificity for certain components of the body with no side-effects, he says.

Peptide toxins found in scorpion venom interact with sodium channels in nervous and muscular systems - and some of these sodium channels communicate pain, says Gurevitz.

“The mammalian body has nine different sodium channels of which only a certain subtype delivers pain to our brain,” adds Gurevitz.

“We are trying to understand how toxins in the venom interact with sodium channels at the molecular level and particularly how some of the toxins differentiate among channel subtypes.”

“If we figure this out, we may be able to slightly modify such toxins, making them more potent and specific for certain pain mediating sodium channels,” Gurevitz continues.

“With this information, engineering of chemical derivatives that mimic the scorpion toxins would provide novel pain killers of high specificity that have no side effects.

In his research, Gurevitz is concentrating on the Israeli yellow scorpion, one of the most potent scorpions in the world. Its venom contains more than 300 peptides of which only a minor fraction has been explored.

The reason for working with this venom, he says, is the large arsenal of active components such as the toxins that have diversified during hundreds of millions of years under selective pressure.

During that process, some toxins have evolved with the capability to directly affect mammalian sodium channel subtypes whereas others recognise and affect sodium channels of invertebrates such as insects, says a university release.

This deviation in specificity is a lesson on how toxins may be manipulated at will by genetic engineering, he says.

Don't see red over Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the most common causes of body pain. When tissues in your body are damaged, tiny blood vessels (capillaries) leak blood cells and plasma into the area. Damaged tissues also release chemicals that stimulate pain receptors and increase blood supply to the area. These processes cause swelling and redness and can make the area warm to the touch. The swelling also places pressure on nerves, adding to the pain.

Where Does it Hurt?

Pain can vary from mild discomfort to strong pain. It occurs when body tissue becomes inflamed or is damaged. This stimulates local pain sensors which trigger the central nervous system and cause you to feel pain. This is a natural part of the body's defence system and is designed to slow you down to try and help minimise further harm.
The causes of pain are many and varied, but there are a few common conditions that most of us will experience at some stage in our lives.

Why do some pain do not disappear with time and treatment?

One hypothesis advanced is that initially we did not deal fairly combative when the pain is acute. Over time, the pain would cause chemical changes in the neural circuits of the brain and spinal cord. Thus, the nervous system "mimerait 'pain, even if the initial injury has healed. This is why some doctors and researchers believe that chronic pain is a disease in itself.

Other hypotheses, psychological suffering (experiences of abandonment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, etc..) Could also be expressed in the form of pain. In fact, according to the definition of the International Association for the Study of Pain, pain is an experience not only physical but also emotional.

Who suffers from Chronic Pain?

• The prevalence of chronic pain increases with age. 
• In Canada, 29% of adults aged 35 to 54 years suffer from chronic pain, and 39% of those aged 55 and over 1. According to a compilation of data from several countries (Canada, France, Australia, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Scotland, Netherlands), chronic pain affect on average 36% of adults 2. 
• An increase of 70% of chronic pain is expected within 25 years because of aging of the population 3. Also, surgeries that we practice more and more, often leave patients with persistent pain. The removal of the breast and knee arthroscopy are good examples of common operations that often leave scars 4. 
• Women are more prone to chronic pain 5. We know that testosterone protects men from the pain. However, the relationship between estrogen and the pain is not yet clear. Many women see their pain increased during the days preceding menstruation and after menopause, periods characterized by lower estrogen.
  

Possible causes of Chronic Pain

• Pain associated with chronic disease can not be treated properly and that causes pain: osteoarthritis, diabetes (can cause neuropathy), multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS, trigeminal neuralgia, sickle cell anemia, etc.. 
• A poorly relieved acute pain that persists beyond the normal period of recovery or lasting longer than six months: after an accident at work (eg back pain), surgery, an episode of shingles, etc.. 
• Pain whose cause is poorly defined: migraine, fibromyalgia. 
• A phantom pain following an amputation. In this case, the pain comes from damage done to the nerves. 
• Pain maintained by the nervous system without apparent trigger, as is the case of regional pain syndrome complex.
  

Chronic Pain : When it hurts all the time ...

• It begins with an evil that we believe temporary. But now he settles permanently. Chronic Pain is a form of Body Pain.
  
• Chronic pain is a disorder that affects more and more individuals are often left to themselves. Sometimes without apparent cause, such persistent pain faced by health professionals at their own impotence. The drugs are ineffective: they relieve only 10% to 20% of the pain. 
• Hence the importance of clinical pain, attached to hospitals, which offer a wide range of services ranging from psychology to physiotherapy. Because we can not be limited to physical harm ... 
• These severe pain poison all aspects of the lives of people who are victims, as can be seen from their testimony. They can break couples and friendships, ruin careers in addition to generating great mental distress.
  

Categories of Lower Back Pain

Acute pain: pain that can last up to four weeks (commonly called lumbago). Although short-term, acute back pain can cause much discomfort, impose a work stoppage for a few days and significantly interfere with daily activities.
Subacute pain: pain that usually lasts from four weeks to three months, more or less constant.
Chronic pain: constant pain lasting longer than three months. The causes of chronic back pain is sometimes difficult to determine. The sufferers must often consider significant changes to their lifestyle.

Lower Back or Lumbar supports, cant help in preventing Back Pain

Lumbar or lower back supports, 'makes no difference' to Back Pain, cannot do anything to help preventing pain in the lower back, a new systematic review has found.

The review, published in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, found that the large belts which can be worn around the waist when picking up or carrying heavy objects are as effective in reducing pain as education about lifting.

The researchers looked at 15 studies which involved over 15,000 people and looked at both the prevention and treatment of low back pain. They found that patients who did not use such supports reported the same levels of pain or reduced disability as those who had.

Lead author Ingrid van Duijvenbode said that the findings of the review indicate that lumbar should not be recommended for patients looking to treat or manage their low back pain.

She said: "There is moderate evidence that lumbar supports do not prevent low back pain or sick leave more effectively than no intervention or education on lifting techniques in preventing long-term low back pain. There is conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of lumbar supports as treatment compared to no intervention or other interventions."

A spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign, which funds a great deal of research into alleviating low back pain, said that in most cases, patients benefited from maintaining everyday activities and keeping as mobile as possible, rather than resting.ADNFCR-1096-ID-18564295-ADNFCR

Back Pain (Lower Back Pain)

A type of Body Pain is Back Pain. Generally people suffer form Lower Back Pain. Pain in the lower portion of Back or say low back pain is a common concern now a days, affecting more than 80% of world population a some point in their lifetime. And above 50% of population have more than one episode of back pain. Low back pain is a symptom not a specific disease which is caused from variety of different processes. Despite a thorough medical examination, no specific cause is identified in more than 80% of people suffering from low back pain.

- After Common Cold, Low back pain is another cause of lost days at work. Back Pain, Lower Back Ache now became one of the most common reasons to visit a doctor.

- For 90% of people, even those with nerve root irritation, their symptoms will improve within 2 months, no matter what treatment is used-even if no treatment is given.

- Doctors usually refer to back pain as acute if it has been present for less than a month and chronic if it lasts for a longer period of time.

Children: The End of Tears?

The management of body pain in children is only beginning to enter the normal practice of medicine who until recently regarded as little or not sensitive. Despite constant efforts, paediatricians require more time and staff to be really effective.

Children and infants feel pain, at least as much and perhaps more than adults, and should be relieved, even for small operations. This seems obvious but it's actually a finding that medicine has made recently. In fact, until the mid-80s, scientists believed that the nervous system of newborns is not developed enough to convey painful information. Now it is, however, acknowledged that early exposure to pain leaves an indelible mark which aggravates all the painful sensations felt in the future. The injustice suffered by children cope with the pain no longer has any purpose.

Pain unknown
If the pain of children is known scientifically, it is not always well supported, including lack of adequate treatment. There is indeed little pediatric versions, lower dose and easier to administer. Recognizing the importance of this issue, Bernard Kouchner had provided in its three-year plan to fight against the pain launched in 1998 to convince the major laboratories embarking on this path.

Few treatments tailored
Besides the shortage of appropriate drugs, the management of pain the child faces the unresolved problem of the evaluation. "An infant or young child who does not speak, can express his grief by crying and a big noise but we now know a sad child and may still be in great suffering," said Dr. Chantal Wood. In fact, pain specialists mainly lack of time to read all the signs and take charge. "Treat the pain of a child is to first take time. Examine and listen to a child, explain to parents what we can do and overcome their reluctance to morphine, for example, surround the child, console, all it takes considerable time and therefore staff, "

Stomach Pain

But what is causing this pain in the stomach that often comes after the meal and you waste your life? Stomach Pain is one among several Body Pain's. One thing is certain: this is not a gastritis! Indeed, this condition is silent, that is to say, it does not cause symptoms. If it hurts, so it's not gastritis. Yet this pain is real and the doctor does not call into question your complaint. But then what do you suffer? You want to know!

Too often, the word means gastritis wrongly various disturbances that often occur after eating a lot of stomach discomfort in the stomach, heartburn, sour, ski acid digestion difficult, bloating, nausea, etc.. In contrast to the doctor, the term gastritis has a different meaning. It is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, only a test called gastroscopy can detect.

A review hard to swallow

The gastroscopy is you put a tube through the esophagus into the stomach. At the end of the tube, a camera transmits on a screen images of the lining of the stomach, or gastric mucosa. Moreover, this tube allows a biopsy: it takes a bit of the stomach for examination under a microscope. It is the work of pathologists, medical specialists in the study of body tissues.

When we experience pain, it is often necessary to do a gastroscopy to see what happens. The medical research ulcer (a wound to the stomach lining), cancer or other diseases. If the doctor makes you gastroscopy said: "you have gastritis, a shortcut is awkward. In reality, only the microscopic examination of the biopsy will know if it really gastritis; observation alone is not sufficient.

Disorders sometimes persistent

Often, gastroscopy reveals fortunately no serious condition that neither stomach ulcer or cancer or gastritis. Yet you continue to have a stomach ache. For the doctor, then you suffer from dyspepsia, a term that means bad digestion. If they do not pose serious health, it can be however long and hard to get rid of dyspepsia and regain a healthy digestion.

Dr. Emmanuel Zinsky

The articles talk about :
1) Stomach Pain
2) Gastroscopy
3) Danger from Body Pain

Inspired by :
Stomach Pain

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