Jeff LangmaidFounder, The Evidence Based Chiropractor

The Hidden Link Between Inflammation and Chronic Pain | Exploring the Science

22 Sept 2023 · 1 min

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Jeff Langmaid explains that systemic inflammatory markers (e.g., C reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor) are commonly elevated in people with pain—particularly persistent or chronic neck pain and radicular pain—and that these immune responses associate with pain intensity and perceived recovery. He notes that early inflammation is part of healing, but prolonged inflammation can cause sensitization and drive chronic pain.

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Systemic inflammatory markers, such as C reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, are commonly elevated for people that have pain, and specifically people that have persistent or chronic neck pain and radicular pain. And these immune responses have an association with pain intensity and perceived recovery. And this suggests that spinal pain has an inflammatory component. No surprise there. And we've broke down on previous episodes, so sort of the buckets of pain, so to speak. And inflammatory pain is a component of this. And an inflammation can happen in a variety of different pain patterns, whether correlative or causative. Inflammation is not a good thing to have going on when you have pain. Now, incidentally, the early inflammatory response typically is actually the beginning of the healing process, as we know. But if it hangs around too long and things become chronic, that's when we start to become sensitized. That's when the cascade of all the real negative stuff starts, starts to happen.