It is ubiquitous in our culture to accept a diagnosis of a syndrome like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, etc. Unfortunately syndromes are not diagnoses. A syndrome is a way of describing a group of symptoms where the cause is unknown. The most common association why someone has pain is due to some sort of trauma, repetitive stress, deformation (eg. herniated disc), diabetes, chemo/radiation, or postsurgical. It is interesting to note that the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain averages up to 85 percent (Rosenberger & Pogatzki-Zahn, 2022). It is estimated that 1 in 5 people in the United States have persistent chronic pain (Rickard et al., 2023). In order to derive why the prevalence of chronic pain and inflammation is so prolific, it is essential to understand what factors contribute to neuropathic pain.
Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to or dysfunction of the nerves, spinal cord, or brain (Watson, 2022). Chronic episodic pain and inflammation is complex in nature and we are taught in our culture to think the cause is linear; however, that reasoning is FAR from the truth. In Western allopathic medicine, treatment for chronic pain can be effective in reducing pain levels by around 30 percent (Dydyk, 2024). That explains why you are here reading my page because most people that are suffering with chronic pain have to seek alternative care in order to find the help they deserve. The single most important reason for why Western allopathic medicine fails to reduce pain for a vast majority of their patients is their inability to help their patients eliminate neurotoxins.
Neurotoxins are substances attracted to the nervous system. They are absorbed by the nerve endings and disrupt vital functions and communication of the nervous system. The body is constantly trying to eliminate neurotoxins via the liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs. Illness and pain occur when the body loses its ability to eliminate these neurotoxins and essentially your nerve endings continually recycle these neurotoxins causing pain and inflammation along the neural pathway. In fact any illness can be contributed to, or exaggerated by neurotoxins. So you may sit here and question why Western allopathic medicine has not come up with a pill to help us just eliminate these neurotoxins. Let’s now dive more into that.
There are several factors that can contribute to why someone has a difficult time eliminating neurotoxins; genetics, consistent re-exposure to toxins (occupational, environmental, and at home), prior illnesses, surgical operations, certain prescription medications, recreational drug and alcohol use, high carbohydrate intake, protein malnutrition, food allergies, the patients electromagnetic environment (mobile phone use, home too close to powerlines and cellphone towers, etc.), constipation, emotional trauma and high stress, compromise of head/neck lymphatic drainage, and mercury fillings.
At Ki Integrative Medicine & Acupuncture I prioritize my treatment focus on helping my patients with eliminating neurotoxins in a very safe and effective method. The methods I have learned how to efficiently eliminate these neurotoxins from experts in the Integrative medical community cannot be patented and exploited for unethical personal gain, little attention has been given to them by European and North American researchers. Many of the best scientific studies on this topic come from Asian countries and that is why many people end up gravitating to acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
Here is an incomplete list of common neurotoxins in order of importance:
Biotoxins: Viruses that continue to live in your system (such as Epstein Barr Viurs, Cytomegalovirus, HHV6, etc.), Bacteria that continue to live in your system (such as Mycoplasma, H. Pylori, C. Diff, Borrelia/Lyme, Bartonella, Botulism Toxin (botox), Toxoplasmosis, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, etc.), parasites (cestodes, nematodes, trematodes, protozoas, etc.), molds (black/stachybotyrus mold, aspergillus mold, etc.)
Heavy Metals: Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, aluminum, cadmium, etc.
Xenobiotics (man-made toxins): pesticides, herbicides, fungalcides, PFAS, formaldehyde, dioxin, PCB’s, etc.
Food preservatives, excitotoxins, and cosmetics: aspartame, food colorings,
fluoride, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc.
References
Dydyk, A. (2024). Chronic Pain. NIH National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553030/
Rickard et al. (2023). Chronic Pain Among Adults-United States 2019-2021. CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7215a1.htm
Rosenberger & Pogatzki-Zahn (2022. Chronic post-surgical pain-Update on incidence, risk factors, and preventative treatment options. NIH National Library of medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9039436/
Watson, J. (2022). Neuropathic Pain. Merck Manual. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain-spinal-cord-and-nerve-disorders/pain/neuropathic-pain
