Chronic pain is big business. I can't listen to the radio or open a magazine without being exposed to some sort of advertising for some pain control product or clinic. Heck, a good part of my practice has to do with reducing pain.
One of the problems with pain is the way our bodies process it. It turns out that pain receptors like those free nerve endings just beneath the surface of your skin don't adapt to chronic pain. This means that chronic pain can persist for a long time. In some cases the pain persists even after damaged tissue heals. This causes people to seek out all sorts of treatments including a myriad of drugs and therapies.
For years I have recommended mild aerobic exercise to help to control chronic pain. When I was an athlete (____ years ago) I learned to push my body beyond its limits and at times this was painful. But I always felt good after a hard workout.
The sports science people said it felt good because of these little chemicals in my brain called neurotransmitters. A certain type of neurotransmitter called an endorphin was thought to be responsible for the "high" felt after vigorous exercise.
The problem was that this was just a theory and had not been proven scientifically.
That was until researchers at the Technische Universität München and the University of Bonn conducted a study that supported the link between endorphin secretion and exercise.
The researchers were able to image endorphins in the brain by using a radioactive substance that binds to them. Ten runners were imaged before and after a 2-hour workout. The radioactive substance competes with endorphins so any decrease in the substance would indicate an increase in endorphin production. The post exercise scans did show a significant decrease indicating an increase in endorphins.
Professor Henning Boecker stated "we could validate for the first time an endorphin driven runner's high and identify the affected brain areas."
This may have implications for people with chronic pain. You don't have to be an athlete to experience the benefits of endorphins. A much less intense exercise like taking a brisk walk may just do the trick and better for you than those side-effect laden drugs.
Reference:
University of Bonn (2008, March 6). Runners' High Demonstrated: Brain Imaging Shows Release Of Endorphins In Brain.
For more information on alternative medicine, natural healing and wellness as well as free podcast downloads visit my site:
www.informationalhealing.com
One of the problems with pain is the way our bodies process it. It turns out that pain receptors like those free nerve endings just beneath the surface of your skin don't adapt to chronic pain. This means that chronic pain can persist for a long time. In some cases the pain persists even after damaged tissue heals. This causes people to seek out all sorts of treatments including a myriad of drugs and therapies.
For years I have recommended mild aerobic exercise to help to control chronic pain. When I was an athlete (____ years ago) I learned to push my body beyond its limits and at times this was painful. But I always felt good after a hard workout.
The sports science people said it felt good because of these little chemicals in my brain called neurotransmitters. A certain type of neurotransmitter called an endorphin was thought to be responsible for the "high" felt after vigorous exercise.
The problem was that this was just a theory and had not been proven scientifically.
That was until researchers at the Technische Universität München and the University of Bonn conducted a study that supported the link between endorphin secretion and exercise.
The researchers were able to image endorphins in the brain by using a radioactive substance that binds to them. Ten runners were imaged before and after a 2-hour workout. The radioactive substance competes with endorphins so any decrease in the substance would indicate an increase in endorphin production. The post exercise scans did show a significant decrease indicating an increase in endorphins.
Professor Henning Boecker stated "we could validate for the first time an endorphin driven runner's high and identify the affected brain areas."
This may have implications for people with chronic pain. You don't have to be an athlete to experience the benefits of endorphins. A much less intense exercise like taking a brisk walk may just do the trick and better for you than those side-effect laden drugs.
Reference:
University of Bonn (2008, March 6). Runners' High Demonstrated: Brain Imaging Shows Release Of Endorphins In Brain.
For more information on alternative medicine, natural healing and wellness as well as free podcast downloads visit my site:
www.informationalhealing.com