ENDURE: The Evidence Just Keeps Piling Up 11/13/15

Spoiler Summary: more evidence that you, and everyone else, can prevent.

I was having a conversation with a colleague recently.....and we were talking, as we often do, about some of the latest research and how it might impact some of the cases we were working on.  In this particular discussion we were talking about pain....not the simple "stubbed my toe and now it hurts" type pain, but the kind that seems to stick with a person for a very long time.  

Long-lasting pain episodes and delayed healing can be complicated.  It doesn't typically just "pop up", and, as unfortunate as it may be, doesn't typically just "go away".  This is not something that surprises most people -- it's rare, for example, for someone with long-lasting back pain to say "I just woke up one morning and it was gone....I've been fine ever since".

As it turns out, so says the research, there are many reasons why long-term pain episodes take root.....why some aches and pains just seem to get worse over time and why some injuries just seem to linger.  

• Sometimes it relates to how severe the injury was, but surprisingly, this is a much smaller factor than most people thought for a very long time....it may not even be the primary reason.

• Sometimes it relates a heightened sensitivity to potential pain triggers....."I don't ever want to do that again" is a sentiment that causes people to move differently and can prolong pain and create other problems.  This is a much bigger part of the equation that most experts ever knew.

• And sometimes (this may not surprise you coming from me), it relates to how healthy the person was in the first place.  For example, for years we've known that chronic back pain is related to whether a person smokes.  This may be because circulation is limited; this may be because there are inflammatory triggers present more frequently and the nervous system (pain pathway) is more sensitive.....or this may be for a host of other reasons....but whatever the reason is -- it's important to recognize that lifestyle plays a role and it doesn't stop at back pain. A recent study for example looked at whether anterior cruciate ligament surgery (knee) is also impacted by smoking. As it turns out infection rates are higher, complications are higher, recovery is worse and the need for surgical revisions is higher for those who were smokers.

But here's the good news.....many of the same actions that can keep you healthy can also keep you pain free. Not smoking, a normal body mass index, physical activity of at least 2.5 hrs/week and a healthy diet all improve healing all relate to longer lasting pain.  However, as this recent study reinforced these same actions can prevent more than 70% of cardiovascular disease.

Living healthy is not easy....but it's not complicated.  It can be done....and it's worth the effort.....because it works.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.