PAIN & INFLAMMATION TESTING



This panel assists in the assessment and tracking of therapy for general pain and inflammation. CRP is naturally produced in the liver in response to inflammation. ESR indirectly measures inflammation by measuring the rate at which red blood cells sink in a tube of blood. The quicker they sink, the more likely you’re experiencing inflammation. Additional markers include albumin, CBC, ferritin and fibrinogen.
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May be recommended for those who have inflammatory type concerns along with other condition specific testing.
JOINT HEALTH BLOOD TEST
This basic panel tests for ANA (antinuclear antibodies) used to determine the cause of arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, hsCRP (high sensitivity c-reactive protein) a marker of inflammation and cardiovascular disease, ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) to assess the degree of inflammation in the body and RF (rheumatoid factor) which is commonly used for the diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
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Best suited to those who want a screening of
joint health.
JOINT AUTOIMMUNE REACTIVITY SCREEN™ BLOOD TEST
ARRAY 8 - CYREX
Assists in the early detection of connective tissue disorders, and in monitoring the effectiveness of related treatment protocols.
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Recommended for those with a family history or who have mixed connective tissue disorders, arthritis, arthralgias or joint inflammation following exposure to environmental triggers.
faqs
The first step to support for pain and inflammation is to get a proper diagnosis from your healthcare team. Once assessed proper physical care with physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathic, massage, Bowen therapy, or acupuncture is recommended where appropriate.
Short-term use of medications for pain and inflammation may be indicated for acute pain when needed. Chronic use of drugs such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen) however increases the risk of:
- Stomach irritation and ulcers
- Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding
- Increased potential for bruising
- Exacerbation of asthma symptoms
- Increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and blood clots
These risks all increase the older you get.1 The goal of testing is to assess markers that may assist in other methods of pain management to reduce or eliminate the need for the above medications.
The most common signs and symptoms of pain and inflammation include:
Acute Inflammation:
- Redness.
- Heat.
- Swelling.
- Pain.
- Loss of function.
Chronic Inflammation:
- Body pain, arthralgia, myalgia.
- Joint stiffness or pain
- Headaches, Migraines
- Chronic fatigue and insomnia.
- Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.
- Gastrointestinal complications like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux.
- Weight gain or weight loss.
- Frequent infections.
Pain results when the buildup of fluid leads to swelling and the swollen tissues push against sensitive nerve endings. Other biochemical processes also occur during inflammation. They affect how nerves behave, and this can contribute to pain.
The are three main stages of inflammation which can each vary in intensity and duration:
- Acute: Swelling stage.
- Sub-acute: Regenerative stage.
- Chronic: Scar tissue maturation and remodeling stage.
When inflammation happens, chemicals from your body’s white blood cells enter your blood or tissues to protect your body from invaders. This raises the blood flow to the area of injury or infection. It can cause redness and warmth. Some of the chemicals cause fluid to leak into your tissues, resulting in swelling.
Other metabolic links that may aggravate pain and inflammation include:
- Poor Diet: Inflammatory and or processed foods
- Food Intolerances
- Weak Detoxification
- Stress
- Injuries
- Infections
- Toxicity
- Hormone Imbalance
- Nutrient Deficiencies: A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, selenium, zinc, flavanols, omega-fatty acids
- Chronic Disease: Cardiovascular, diabetes
- Digestive Imbalances
- Neurotransmitter Imbalances: Low serotonin; excess glutamate, substance p.2-6
Pain and inflammation testing is requisitioned by your Naturopathic doctor or nurse practitioner who will guide you on which test is the best option for you.
We recommend a New Patient Visit with one of our practitioners for the most comprehensive approach to your health or a Pre-Lab Visit for a quick snapshot prior to lab testing as there are many tests available. To complete your care, we recommend booking your Post-Lab consult 2 weeks after testing to review your results and receive your tailored health plan.
Most of the advanced pain and inflammation testing is not ordered by your General Practitioner under OHIP-based services on routine screening tests. Our goal is to assess your health by evaluating high-risk factors and then work in prevention.
Third-party insurance companies may cover all or a portion of your consultations. Most of the other integrative testing is not currently covered by private insurance companies. Please check with your individual provider for details and how to submit claims.
Treating both the outside and inside, our practitioners look at the structural system and their internal relationships to turn off the pain signal, inflammation, and how your body perceives pain.
The foundation of pain management includes a tailored anti-inflammatory menu rich in antioxidants as scientific literature indicates a strong link between food and pain.1,7,8 Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and oxidative stress, which has been shown to decrease pain sensitivity.10 Many researchers believe that many of these dietary interventions activate your endogenous opioid system, which is the body’s natural defense against pain.11 Therapies may include:
- Melatonin: helps to promote sleep and is also a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to reduce pain, including that associated with fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraines.12-14
- Honokiol: derived from the bark of magnolia trees helps to reduce tension, improve both sleep and inflammatory pain by acting in the central nervous system to affect how your brain perceives pain.15,16 Honokiol binds to a brain neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).
- Select B Vitamins : Vitamins B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cyanocobalamin) are beneficial for neuropathic pain.17 These nutrients primarily provide relief by targeting pathways associated with central neural pain processing.18-20
- Acupuncture, Bowen Therapy, Chiropractic, Osteopathic, and Hypnotherapy are additional complementary therapies available at Revivelife that comprise a complete pain management plan.
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- Cleveland Clinic. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Reviewed October 25, 2019.
- Fein A. Nociceptors and the perception of pain. http://cell.uchc.edu/pdf/fein/nociceptors_fein_2012.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2016.
- Valenzuela CF, Puglia MP, Zucca S. Focus on: neurotransmitter systems. Alcohol Res Health. 2011;34(1):106-120.
- Cairns BE, Dong X. The role of peripheral glutamate and glutamate receptors in muscle pain. J Musculoskel Pain. 2008;16(1-2):85-91.
- Fundytus ME. Glutamate receptors and nociception: implications for the drug treatment of pain. CNS Drugs. 2001;15(1):29-58.
- Chiechio S. Modulation of chronic pain by metabotropic glutamate receptors. Adv Pharmacol. 2016;75:63-89.
- Vo, P, Marx, S, Penles, L. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients experiencing acute and chronic moderate-to-moderately-severe pain: results from a survey of 606 pain patients in the United States. Paper presented at American PainSociety Annual Meeting; May 8-10, 2008; Tampa, Florida
- NINDS (National Institute of neurological disorders and Stroke. Pain: Hope Through Research. Available at:http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/detail_chronic_pain.htmAccessed 5/4/2012.
- Cohen S., Raja S., Chapter 29–Pain. In: Goldman: Goldman’s Cecil Medicine, 24th ed. Pg 133. Copyright © 2011 Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier. Philadelphia, PA
- Costigan M, Scholz J, Woolf CJ. Neuropathic pain: a maladaptive response of the nervous system to damage. Annu Rev Neurosci.2009;32:1-32
- Mease PJ, Hanna S, Frakes EP, et al. Pain mechanisms in osteoarthritis: understanding the role of central pain and current approaches to its treatment. J Rheumatol. 2011 Aug;38(8):1546-51
- Bell RF. Food and pain: Should we be more interested in what our patients eat? Pain. 2007;129(1
- Ruskin DN, Kawamura M, Masino SA. Reduced pain and inflammation in juvenile and adult rats fed a ketogenic diet. PLoS One.2009;4(12)
- Bonakdar R, Leopold D. Chapter 34: Integrative Medicine in Rheumatology: An Evidence-Based Approach. In: Firestein: Kelley’sTextbook of Rheumatology, 8th ed. Philadelphia PA: Saunders Elsevier 2009
- Tall JM, Raja SN. Dietary constituents as novel therapies for pain. Clin J Pain. 2004;20(1):19
- Wilhelmsen M, Amirian I, Reiter RJ, Rosenberg J, Gogenur I. Analgesic effects of melatonin: a review of current evidence from experimental and clinical studies.
- Gitto E, Aversa S, Salpietro CD, et al. Pain in neonatal intensive care: role of melatonin as an analgesic antioxidant. J Pineal Res.2012 Apr;52(3):291-5
- Srinivasan V, Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, et al. Potential use of melatonergic drugs in analgesia: mechanisms of action. BrainRes Bull. 2010;81(4-5):362-71
- Lin YR, Chen HH, Lin YC, et al. Antinociceptive actions of honokiol and magnolol on glutamatergic and inflammatory pain.J Biomed Sci.2009;16:94
- Squires RF, Ai J, Witt MR, et al. Honokiol and magnolol increase the number of [3H] muscimol binding sites three-fold in rat forebrain membranes in vitro using a filtration assay, by allosterically increasing the affinities of low-affinity sites.NeurochemRes.1999;24(12):1593-602