Chronic pain: and how I can relate it to brain damage and bum examinations

 We have an injury question from one of our male clients with a chronically inflamed thumb and wrist...

This blog leads to stories about brain damage, cameras up bottoms and all out bodily war, so don't think this is going to be boring. p.s.: I am not a doctor, I am a creative writer in the fitness industry, so I always aim to captivate in the aim to educate.  Forgive my poor use of medical terms and explanations.  I always provide links to back up these explanations.

Have you heard of DeQuervains syndrome? And got any suggestions on wrapping etc my wrists to stop the pain during sessions?? Ouch I say!!! 

Here is the definition for DeQuervains syndrome:  the short version is it inflammation over the thumb side of the wrist, and has no known cause.

I love these questions: and questions like "I have planta faciitis but all the treatments aren't working."  Because I believe that conditions that have no known cause are strongly linked to nutrition, digestion and hormones.... aggravating the inflammation and making the condition chronic, as opposed to curable.

Let's approach this condition or any inflammation of ligaments on two angles:

1.  REMEDIAL and PREVENTATIVE ACTION
2.  NUTRITIONAL ADJUSTMENT

Remedial  action:
We have a $20 fitness assessment for Sweat Depot first timers and clients with injuries. The assessment is tailor made and we can to teach you how to wrap their hands properly.  This is why: If you wrap your hands too short in the wrist and in continuous loops across the knuckles (and not in figure eights as we suggest) then you will cause constriction of the blood flow around knuckles and ligaments, causing tears, inflammation and even carpal syndrome in people with poor circulation and healing abilities.

Here is the step by step guide on how to wrap properly.

This guide can be confusing if you have never had the wraps applied correctly before... So just just the same as you would go to a professional strapper to get your sprained ankle treated, we have included correct wrapping as part of your fitness assessment.

Stretching, as with any injury, is also the key, and we can provide you with a few simple stretches that should be applied at the end of class.  Remember - if you don't FEEL the stretch, it is not a stretch (just like people stretching their hammies with a bent leg drive me insane because they cannot possibly be stretching the hammie and are not stretching - they are faking).  And all stretches should be maintained for a minute, or performed in a complimentary sequence that exceeds 60 seconds.

Apply heat!  If it is a chronic injury,as opposed to a crush injury, heat drives blood to the injured site which promotes healing.   Coupled with stretching and massage it can reduce spasming muscles by reprogramming neuro pain responses and lengthening tendons.  I stock Aloe Heat Lotion for $27.50 because the aloe continuously and naturally treats the inflammation (as opposed to Deep Heat, or the catastrophic side effects of long term anti-inflammatory use  i.e.: stroke).

Take magnesium... there it is again!  Coupled with B12, MSM and zinc it repairs muscles and tendons their protective sheath, reduces inflammation and hence pain.  Take at least 400mg elemental magnesium per dose from 3 separate sources.  I have some at the studio...

NUTRITIONAL ADJUSTMENT:

What you eat can cause pain.   Here are the main culprits:   SUGAR.  And WHITE FLOUR.

Why?  Sugar feeds bad bacteria in your gut (candida), and bad bacteria sends out craving messages so you will feed it more sugar, hence, ensuring their survival.  These craving messages are also closely connected to pain messages... When you eat sugar (read also: drink alcohol), you get a false message of "pain relief".  However within 15 minutes (less for sugar addicts) your pain will increase as the insulin response restricts the life giving blood flow to injured sites.  Who would have thought thrush to be so dam clever?

White flour (in the form of gluten)  causes pain... well, not just white flour.  The modern gut IS THREE TIMES MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FOOD ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITIES.  A food allergy is an immune response and gluten is a key culprit.  In food allergies the body attacks your guts because it thinks the offending food is a threat. Food sensitivity is just as harmful., but harder for medical tests to detect without going on an elimination diet (people are stubborn in convincing to give up sugar, try telling them they should do a 30 day elimination diet to see why they are sick... unfortunately we are so lazy and irresponsible for our health we would prefer a doctor to take some blood or stick something up our bum as the easy option).  If you suffer a food sensitivity (commonly to gluten, dairy, acidic foods) your gut acid and bacteria actually LEAKS out into your body and attacks your ligament sheaths.  And then your immunity could start attacking these leaky offenders.  Your body literally goes to war on itself, sending fluid, gases and and pain explosions to the war zones.  No wonder people with food intolerences are tired all the time....

I am explaining this like a complete novice... but I need to maintain interest, so hence the poor medical English.

And if you suffer from a food allergy or sensitivity you have to remove it completely. You can't just say... I can touch the bomb "once a day every week" and it won't blow my hands off...  And did you know that if you are a sufferer you should be adding TWICE the amount of nutrition to your diet of a non-sufferer? This is because because you have suffered brain damage, muscle and ligament damage and organ damage as a result of your intolerance continuously attacking your body for years and years.  And that equals a lot of heavy duty repair needed.  Which means MORE FOOD INTAKE AND DAILY CORRECT SUPPLEMENTATION.

When Kelly got diagnosed with a degenerative thyroid condition that most use as an obesity sentence, she transformed to this... by elimintaing SUGAR AND GRAINS and eating MORE!

To delve into this fascinating side of pain and nutrition check Chris Kresser on my website page and the concept of Paleo lifestyle.  I like Chris because he doesn't rule out every grain and all dairy from every ones diet... he tailors your dietary options by helping you take responsibility for your health in an easy 30 day plan.

Ok... enough ranting from me.  Go out and take control of your health, because really, no one else is going to care about it more then you.


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