Blog

BlogsWhen Pain Persists

When Pain Persists

From our first cries as we enter the world to our final breaths, pain is an intrinsic part of the human experience. It disregards gender, race, and religion, touching nearly every one of us. Despite its ubiquity, pain has remained one of the most enigmatic aspects of existence.

Progress in Pain Research
While pain research has made remarkable strides, the puzzle of why some individuals transition from acute pain to chronic pain continues to baffle scientists. The challenge lies in the intricate nature of pain itself, spanning the somatosensory cortex to the cognitive and emotional centers of the brain. Moreover, the perception of pain is deeply personal and subjective.

Unlocking Insights with Brain Imaging
Modern brain imaging studies are reshaping our understanding of chronic pain. They provide insights into the underlying mechanisms that contribute to this complex condition. These advancements lead to critical questions: How does the brain contribute to chronic pain? What can these insights tell us about new avenues for patient treatment?

The Widespread Impact of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain, persisting for over three months, profoundly affects an individual's quality of life. It arises from various sources, including trauma, surgery, and medical conditions like diabetes. Astonishingly, chronic pain affects 21% of adults, with nearly 8% experiencing high-impact chronic pain. This prevalence emphasises its global significance as a leading cause of disability.

The Brain's Role in Chronic Pain
Chronic pain involves intricate brain networks, including the posterior insula, cingulate and prefrontal cortices, and more. These areas are crucial in processing pain. While peripheral and spinal changes are better understood, the exact brain mechanisms remain elusive.

Central Sensitisation: A Key Player
One theory suggests that central sensitisation, altering how the central nervous system processes pain and sensory input, underlies chronic pain. This heightened sensitivity amplifies sensory messages, even in the absence of stimuli. Nerves become more responsive to stimulation, causing maladaptive changes within the nervous system.

Recent Insights from Brain Studies
Cutting-edge neuroimaging is unveiling the brain's role in chronic pain. Patients with chronic pain exhibit reduced gray matter density in specific brain regions. A breakthrough study detected chronic pain patterns in the brain using intracranial neural biomarkers, shedding light on personalized pain biomarkers.

Chemical Imbalances in Chronic Pain
Studies have also revealed lower levels of key neurotransmitters in the brains of individuals with chronic pain. These imbalances contribute to affective disturbances and mood disorders, indicating a neurobiological connection.

Connecting Chronic Pain and PTSD
Chronic pain often coexists with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Childhood trauma may increase the risk of chronic pain in adulthood, influencing genetic factors and neurobiological correlates.

Non-Pharmacological Approaches: Harnessing the Brain's Potential
Due to the multifaceted nature of chronic pain, comprehensive non-pharmacological strategies are crucial. Innovative techniques like High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (HF rTMS), Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), and Neurofeedback are showing promise. HF rTMS has proven effective in relieving pain and depressive symptoms. TENS inhibits nociceptive transmission neurons, and Neurofeedback holds potential in managing symptoms.

Intriguing Possibilities
The evolving field of chronic pain and the brain continues to intrigue researchers. By delving into brain mechanisms and personalised biomarkers, we uncover avenues for innovative treatments and holistic care. As we piece together this intricate puzzle, new possibilities for understanding and managing chronic pain emerge, offering hope for improved quality of life.

Close
Cancer Fatigue

Cancer-related is one of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatments. Like fatigue, cancer fatigue is whole-body exhaustion that you feel no matter how much sleep or rest you get. Cancer fatigue takes exhaustion a step further: You feel physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted most of the time. Cancer fatigue may last a few weeks (acute) or for months or years (chronic).

To improve energy effectively, we provide modalities ranging from mindfulness-based cognitive therapy therapies, to herbal medicine and targeted nutritional interventions.

Pain Management

Providing quality care and services to our patients is our utmost commitment. Our approach prioritises a holistic and integrative method to health and wellness, ensuring that each patient receives personalised and effective treatment.

Our acupuncture services, including traditional acupuncture, medical acupuncture, and laser acupuncture, are designed to stimulate the body's natural healing processes, reduce pain, and improve overall health. In addition to acupuncture, we provide specialised physiotherapy services aimed at restoring movement, improving function, and alleviating pain Our commitment to quality care is reflected in our dedication to continuously improving our services and staying abreast of the latest advancements in medical and complementary treatments.

We are devoted to helping our patients achieve the best possible health outcomes through compassionate, comprehensive, and patient-centred care.

vitawell cancer therapy

Download your free ebook.

Send us your name and email to
receive the download link

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Recovery

Helping you to thrive into enduring wellness after the conclusion of cancer treatments is our goal. At Vitawell Wellness we understand that an optimised immune system comes from a foundation of basics. Quality of sleep, exercise, enjoying nature, and practising meditation are incredibly important elements to aid in your recovery.

Our holistic approach focuses on rebuilding all the components that form your unique profile, from weight and movement to mind-body connection; from good energy to healthy weight; from sleep to finding happiness in small things.  Recovery also depends upon restoring imbalances in your immune system, nervous system, neurotransmitters, gut health, adrenal and hormonal systems. At Vitawell Wellness we will provide you with the essential tools and the appropriate program to achieve and to maintain optimal health and enduring wellness.

Stress Management

The state of mind impacts health through the mind-body connection. We believe that  that body and mind are one, that the mind feeds the body just as the body feeds the mind. Since emotions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, actions, and behaviour impact and literally shape wellbeing, we provide the necessary tools to  strengthen your mental and emotional inner life.

We strive to help you cultivate and maintain hope, calm, optimism, and inner-peace. We want to know how you feel; we listen and support you in regaining power with positive actions, step-by-step into wellness. 

Clinical Detox

After the conclusion of cancer treatments, we strongly recommend that you follow our clinical detoxification program. At Vitawell Wellness we are aware tht some common side-effects from chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatments can have lasting effects such as brain fog, loss of energy and gastro-intestinal dysfunction.

We strongly believe in the power of detoxification as a method of steadily reducing toxins` accumulation and regaining strength, balance, and imporve wellness. Our personalised program is sensible, gentle but effective, and includes stress reduction technique and lifestyle changes.

Personalised Diet

The relationship between cancer, diet, energy, muscle mass and optimal weight is extremely important. At Vitawell Wellness we focus on addressing your current nutritional status and develop the right diet for you.  "One size does not fit all" principle applies to your diet. Each person is unique and therefore variability exists between nutrient-sense diets.

We provide personalised and appropriate dietary plans before, during and after cancer treatments. We provide 7 day menu plan, shopping lists and recipes that reflect food preferences and sensitivities. The menu plans are easy to follow. Each food is selected for its specific content of nutrients. Healthy foods positively support your whole person wellness.

For some, reaching wellness means improving body weight, muscle mass, digestion, assimilation and gut microbiome. 

For some, reaching wellness means reducing body weight, improving muscle mass, digestion, bowel function and gut microbiome. Obesity and overweight have been shown to increase cancer risk.

Preventive Care

The Functional Medicine model is an individualised, patient-centred, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together and to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness.

Functional Medicine is gaining attention as a new approach to care in large institutions and Universities around the world. This is leading to new approaches to investigate ways to research outcomes of Functional Medicine designed to discover and remedy root causes of problems instead of suppressing symptoms. Random controlled trials are beginning to be conducted, and a new body of literature is beginning to emerge in this realm as a result.

Nutritional Medicine

Nutrition medicine is a personalised medicine that deals with primary prevention and addresses underlying causes instead of treating symptoms for serious chronic diseases. By shifting the traditional disease-centred focus of medical practice to a more patient-centred approach, nutritional medicine individualises the patient's nutritional needs based on genetic, environmental, and personal considerations.

Nutritional medicine focuses on shifting dietary habits to optimise personal health stimulating the powerful inert healing mechanism within each person by providing nutrient protocols and specialised diets for each individual need.

Herbal Medicine

Herbalism today is based on remedies and techniques tried and tested through generations of use, but increasingly re-evaluated in the light of modern medical refinements. A key feature of herbalism is that remedies are used to support and modify disturbed body functions.

Herbal medicine is the oldest and still the most widely used system of medicine in the world today. It is medicine made exclusively from plants. It is used in all societies and is common to all cultures.

Herbal medicine is increasingly being validated by scientific investigation which seeks to understand the active chemistry of the plant. Many modern pharmaceuticals have been modelled on, or derived from, phytochemicals found in plants. Increasing research on herbal medicine demonstrates that liquid botanicals play a critical role during, before and after a diagnosis of cancer.

Individualised Plans

Cancer requires negotiation and navigation. Decisions must be made. Directions must be pursued. The decisions and directions often occur in the middle of stress, fear, trauma, and many other challenging emotions. The skills with which people negotiate and navigate their cancer journey are better supported by combining conventional treatments with evidence-based natural medicine.

At Vitawell Wellness, we design individual programs to support you regardless of your diagnosis and the stage of your cancer. We collect all critical information about your state of health and help you in your decision-making process with the wisdom and the experience that comes from years of clinical practice. We work in alignment with what you think, feel, say, and do. In this way, we honour your self-awareness, your knowledge and views and integrate them in safe practices.