HOW DOES THE GUT MICROBIOME MODULATE PAIN? PART II

We have long known that specific brain centers produce and release several substances (like acetylcholine, adrenaline, and cortisol), that modulate gut peristalsis (bowel contractions), vascular tone, bacterial homeostasis, and nutrient absorption in the intestines. But we are now quickly appreciating that our gut microbiota (the collection of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses that live in […]

Physical Therapists Weigh In On the Importance of Promoting Nutrition In Clinical Practice 

Public health recommendations for lifestyle interventions, including diet, nutrition advice, and physical activity, have been widely publicized for the treatment and prevention of diseases, including chronic pain. Physical therapists are now actively implementing nutrition into practice and recognize it as an essential part of optimizing movement, physical function, mood, and improving health. Nutrition education and […]

Physical Activity & Nutrition: Forever Linked in the World of Wellness

As the U.S. celebrates American Heart Month in February, health professionals and the mainstream media will no doubt use the designation as a soapbox for discussing heart disease prevention and cardiovascular health, which should include physical activity & nutrition. Studies will be lauded, stats will be highlighted, and healthful tips will most certainly be dispensed. […]

Combination of Approaches Required in Treating Chronic Pain

Treating Chronic Pain. A research article published last summer in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (June 26, 2019) strived to provide guidance to a world that’s continually seeking to better understand chronic pain while developing improved therapeutic approaches to treating and managing chronic pain. Titled “Chronic Pain: Structure and Functional Changes in Brain Structures […]

How Does the Gut Microbiome Modulate Pain? Part I

Bacteria are the oldest and most abundant organisms on Earth. They are also the ones that most easily adapt to environmental conditions and have an unsurpassed ability to coexist with other living beings, including us. More than 1000 species of microorganisms (mostly bacteria, but also viruses, protozoa, archaea and fungi), exceeding by ~10 times the […]

ACT: Strategies for Acceptance in ‘Curing’ Chronic Pain

When seeking medical attention for an ailment or chronic pain, we as modern humans are conditioned to focus on a single, specific resolution: a cure. And yet, when it comes to conditions like chronic pain, the cure – like the specific musculoskeletal cause and generator of long-term pain – is often elusive. Over time, this […]