Chronic Pain Damages the Brain

~A Summary of Articles from Acupuncture Today~

Chronic pain is front and center these days, now that the opioids are no longer viewed as the answer to chronic pain. Long term use of opioids is an addiction and these drugs have other serious side effects. After all opioids don’t address the core problem, they only mask it.

The reason opioids are used all at to treat chronic pain, is because any pain but particularly chronic pain can be just as dangerous and deadly if not addressed. In fact, recent research suggests chronic pain may be so damaging as to cause changes in the brain that lead to cognitive decline and eventually dementia.

In a particular study involving more than 10,000 adults, researchers reviewed more than a decade of surveys that tracked pain levels and cognitive abilities. While cognitive function (memory, attention, etc.) tends to decline with age, those declines occurred significantly more rapidly in people who reported ongoing moderate to severe pain compared to people with little to no pain. What’s more, the risk of suffering dementia (Alzheimer’s is the most common cause) was also slightly higher in people suffering with chronic pain.

This is just one example of how pain can impact areas of your body and your life. Don’t suffer with pain get some help treating the cause of what is impacting your life. Acupuncture has been treating all types of pain for thousands of years. The effectiveness of acupuncture is evident in research, literature and millions of people who have found relief with this ancient modality.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine treat the cause of your pain. The treatment plans work to resolve the pain not mask the symptoms with toxic addictive medications. If you are one of the many suffering from pain, speak to a qualified acupuncture practitioner, to find out how to best treat your pain naturally.

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Timothy OBrien Acupuncturist in West Greenwich, RI  401-397-6333