Targeted Disease Management

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain, defined as pain lasting more than several weeks, is a condition that interferes with the quality of life of millions of people. Pain is a complex process that is mediated by neurotransmitters which transmit signals originating from a pain-inducing stimulus to specific centers in the brain where it is perceived. Inflammation increases sensitivity to pain-inducing stimuli and intensifies pain perception. Chronic pain is typically associated with long-term medical conditions and originates from neuropathic (resulting from nerve damage) or psychogenic (pain associated with no apparent disease or injury) causes.

Symptoms of Chronic pain include:

• physical pain
• depression
• anxiety
• sleep disturbances
• impaired decision making

In the presence of disease or injury, the body's requirements for nutritional components are altered. Patients with chronic pain syndromes can have an increased nutritional requirement for dietary precursors of nitric oxide, GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), serotonin, and acetylcholine. These include arginine, glutamate, tryptophan, choline, and acetyl-L-carnitine.

Patients suffering from chronic pain are often at greater risk of adverse drug side effects due to the duration of treatment and increased dosages of conventional pharmaceutical pain medications. Physician Therapeutics medical food products can help patients suffering from chronic pain, by addressing the increased nutritional requirements of disease states and restoring the balance of neurotransmitters the body needs to safely and effectively manage the pain process.