Relief From Chronic Pain

Functional Neurology offers a comprehensive drug-free solution for migraines, fibromyalgia, and other forms of chronic pain. When a person has chronic pain, some part of the pain pathway in their brain or spinal cord has become “trigger-happy,” or overly active. Functional neurology treatment builds the natural pain inhibiting parts of your brain to help you feel better.

We experience pain when the conscious part of our brain that registers pain becomes active. Pain is not necessarily related to damage or dysfunction in the part of the body that is hurting. For example, some people experience severe pain in some area of the body that is not being damaged, and anyone who has had surgery knows that the effects of anesthesia cause us to have no experience of pain despite extensive cutting. The experience of pain depends on whether the conscious part of the brain that registers pain is active.

Nerves send messages from our joints, muscles, and organs to our brain. There are several relay stations on the way from the body to the brain. Each of those relay stations modifies the message. They can turn the pain signal up or down.

Here are some examples of pain relay stations in action: under normal conditions we can turn the pain signal down by rubbing the area that has been injured. This is because the act of rubbing affects spinal cord relay stations that turn down the pain signals from the body. For another example, if there is no anesthesia available, a soldier might be given a shot of whiskey and something to bite on before the medic removes a bullet from his body. Biting affects the relay stations in the base of the brain that reduce pain signals from the body, and alcohol numbs the conscious area of the brain.

Medications act on different parts of the pain message pathway from the body to the brain. Anti-inflammatory medicines reduce the signal coming from the body. Opioids like codeine affect the relay stations in the spinal cord and base of the brain, and antidepressant medications affect the conscious areas of the brain that register pain. Each can be effective in different ways.

When a person has chronic pain, some area of the pain pathway is usually malfunctioning. It has often become “trigger-happy,” or overly active. Sometimes rubbing an area of pain actually makes it hurt more, and sometimes massage, acupuncture, physical therapy, or chiropractic adjustments can add to the problem rather than alleviate it.

Functional neurology treatment is designed to calm down areas of the pain pathway that are trigger-happy. This is often accomplished by directing treatment to a part of the body that doesn’t hurt. Treatment might also include dealing with sources of immune system irritation, including food sensitivities and chronic hidden infections. The immune system often contributes to chronic pain by creating an ongoing inflammatory response.