Our Brain & Pain Management

This is my homework blog assignment for my health and wellness coaching class. I found the assignment to be very interesting and thought that it might be interesting for others to read. 

I watched a short one minute video on pain management and found the video to be very interesting. The video mentions an MRI where the patient see's their brain and how their brain reacts to the pain. This video was very interesting in regards to showing that when we focus on the pain it may intensify the area of pain and how much pain we may feel. It was also interesting to see that when we take the focus off the pain and distract ourselves that the pain is less likely to bother us. It all starts with how we allow ourselves to deal with the pain.The video did not give me a whole lot of information in regards to the part of the brain that sends the pain signal so I decided to do some further research on the the cingulate cortex. https://youtu.be/oq6YKqSzEUw

Pain is something that begins in our brain in what is known as the anterior cingulate cortex. This part of our brain is the first step and it acts as a neural alarm system, it tells us that something is wrong.This part of our brain sends the message to other areas of our brain that tell us to slow down or can cause us to react or seek treatment for the pain. The right prefrontal cortex helps with easing the emotional responses that are brought on by the pain. Studies are showing that in social rejection both of the areas of the brain are also reacting to what is happening. http://www.scn.ucla.edu/reject/5jama.html

Did you know that nutrition has a part to play in our pain management? I was amazed to find out that it does. Our society has become used to relying on the newest pill or depending on procedures; that we have forgotten that there are ways that we can help reduce our pain and other symptoms. "We all know that a healthy diet, moderate exercise and eliminating smoking can lessen our risk of heart disease and cancer. Did you know that these same lifestyle choices can affect pain as well?"  American Pain and Wellness' website recommends lowering eating animal fat that promotes inflammation in the body. Inflammation is controlled by chemicals in the body, the most important one is called prostaglandins; which are made from the fats that we eat. There are good and bad forms of prostaglandins; eating the right types of fat can help control inflammation and pain. EPA is a good type of fat found in cold water fish (ie:salmon, tuna,herring, mackerel, and sardines.) It is recommended that we eat two to five servings of this weekly. ALA is another form of good fat this is found in vegetables, beans, fruits, and fish oil. In addition turmeric, boswellin, and ginger are known as botanicals that have been used in the ancient times and have been known to reduce pain and inflammation, similar to prescription anti-inflammatory medicine. http://www.painandwellness.com/fighting-back/taking-control-of-your-pain-through-diet