Chronic Pain in Fatigue Disorders: How to Manage It Through Nutrition, Somatic practices and Herbal Medicine
INTRODUCTION
Pain response is a self-preservation reaction to a potentially harmful circumstance. Chronic pain, on the other side, is a disorder of the pain perception mechanisms. Chronic pain management should have a multidisciplinary approach, including an accurate consideration of the physiological, psychological, emotional, social, and environmental dynamics affecting the individual. This article will focus on three strategies, including a combination of nutritional advice, herbs, and somatic practices that can be helpful in reducing the frequency and intensity of chronic pain.
STRATEGY #1: INFLAMMATION MANAGEMENT
One of the first steps to tackle chronic pain is to reduce the active inflammatory processes in the body to the bare minimum. The reason being that inflammation may lead to a pain response derangement.
Refined sugars (the most common being sucrose, glucose, and fructose) have a bad reputation for worsening inflammation, and seed and vegetable oils, with the exception of very few, are very high in omega-6, which are the building blocks of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Processed foods are strongly pro-inflammatory: not only high in refined sugars but also in trans-fatty acids, which are also an atomic bomb for your immune system. Also, alcohol notoriously damages the liver, which plays a vital role in inflammation.
On the other hand, oily fish and high-quality fish oil supplements are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which provide the body with the building blocks to manufacture anti-inflammatory cytokines. Oxidation and reduction are chemical processes that have a profound implication in chronic inflammation: berries, grapes, green tea, and chocolate, together with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), vitamins A, C, and E, are excellent sources of exogenous antioxidants and can counteract the damage from free radicals. Additionally, cooking with and juicing turmeric and ginger can also be helpful in managing inflammation.
It’s also important to be mindful of gluten, lectins, and other antinutrients in the diet. Gluten, found in wheat and other grains, can be inflammatory for some individuals, particularly those with sensitivities or autoimmune conditions. Lectins, which are proteins found in beans, legumes, and some grains, can interfere with nutrient absorption and cause gut irritation. Antinutrients, such as phytates and oxalates, found in certain plant foods, may bind to minerals like calcium and magnesium, preventing their absorption. Reducing or eliminating these from the diet, especially during periods of inflammation, can be beneficial for managing chronic pain and improving overall health.
Finally, increased intestinal permeability (Leaky gut syndrome) and imbalanced microbiome (dysbiosis) can have a severe negative impact on immune function. Including in the diet fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, etc.), prebiotics (fermentable fibers), and collagen proteins (abundant in bone broth) can support a healthy microbiome and reduce gut permeability.
STRATEGY #2: SOMATIC TRACKING AND MINDFULNESS FOR CHRONIC PAIN
A crucial factor to understand chronic pain is to explore the concept of neuroplastic pain. Neuroplastic pain is pain generated by the brain without any physical injury. It often arises during periods of stress and is fueled by fear, creating a pain-fear cycle that can exacerbate chronic fatigue and conditions like fibromyalgia. Emotional habits such as worry, self-criticism, and avoidance behaviors can further strengthen this cycle, making it difficult to break free from the pain.
To overcome neuroplastic pain, it’s essential to understand that this pain is a false alarm—it's real, but not caused by tissue damage. The key to recovery is shifting emotional responses to pain, reducing its intensity, and retraining the brain. This can be achieved through practices like somatic tracking, which involves observing pain sensations with curiosity and without fear or judgment. Over time, this helps to rewire the brain’s pain pathways, making pain feel less threatening.
Somatic tracking is a technique for retraining the brain’s pain circuits by observing pain sensations without fear. It involves key components that help shift the emotional response to pain, making it feel less threatening.
Mindfulness: This practice enhances feelings of safety and deactivates the brain's fear circuits, making it easier to tolerate pain.
Curiosity: Approach pain with openness and curiosity, without judgment, to understand its quality—whether it’s burning, tingling, or tight.
Reframing the Experience: Focus on the concept of “safety” while exploring the pain sensations. This helps reduce the emotional charge tied to the pain.
Outcome Independence: The goal isn’t to eliminate pain immediately but to retrain the brain’s response to it. Gradual, controlled exposure to pain in a safe environment reduces fear over time, helping to rewire the brain.
This process requires patience, as repeated exposure in a safe and non-threatening way helps reduce fear and break the cycle of chronic pain.
Healing from neuroplastic pain is a gradual process. Setbacks are a normal part of the journey, but they should not be resisted. Through consistent exposure to pain in a safe environment, emotional responses to pain can be reconditioned, eventually breaking the pain-fear cycle and leading to lasting relief. The book The Way Out by Alan Gordon explains how to perform somatic tracking in a safe and effective way to reduce the symptoms of chronic pain.
STRATEGY #3: HERBAL ANALGESICS
Ultimately, there are herbs that have analgesic effects on the body, meaning that they directly affect and ameliorate pain perception.
Corydalis yanhusuo is a popular painkiller in Chinese pharmacopoeia. It is a distant cousin of the opium poppy and contains analgesic and anti-inflammatory compounds that have shown to reduce pain, inflammation, and improve depression symptoms. It is thought that its properties are linked to a compound called dehydrocorybulbine, which probably improves pain modulation without the side effects of morphine.
Eschscholzia californica, also called California poppy, is another member of the poppy family with analgesic properties. This herb contains a somewhat large amount of psychoactive alkaloids such as sanguinarine, dihydrosanguinarine, chelirubine, and macarpine, which are thought to stimulate GABA receptors and thus promote sedation and analgesia.
Hypericum perforatum, or St. John’s Wort, is a UK native herb with a strong affinity for the nervous system and is commonly used for depression and anxiety. Some evidence supports the use of St. John’s Wort as an effective mild analgesic.
Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as Kratom, is a plant native to Southeast Asia and widely used for opiate withdrawal. Although there are some concerns about its long-term safety, its alkaloid mitragynine has shown promising analgesic effects similar to the ones exerted by opioid drugs without displaying the harmful side effects
Key Takeaways
Chronic pain is often neuroplastic, meaning it’s a learned response rather than tissue damage, particularly in conditions like CFS and fibromyalgia.
Fear amplifies pain, creating a cycle where pain increases with fear, reinforcing the sensation and prolonging discomfort.
Shifting emotional responses to pain is crucial. Techniques like somatic tracking, which involves observing pain without judgment, can retrain the brain and reduce pain.
Inflammation drives chronic pain, and managing it through anti-inflammatory foods like omega-3-rich fish, turmeric, and berries can help alleviate symptoms.
Gut health impacts pain: Leaky gut and an imbalanced microbiome contribute to inflammation. Fermented foods, prebiotics, and collagen-rich foods support gut health and reduce pain.
Herbal remedies offer pain relief: Herbs like Corydalis, California poppy, St. John’s Wort, and Kratom can modulate pain and support the nervous system naturally.
Holistic approaches are key: Combining nutrition, somatic practices, and herbal medicine can improve quality of life for those with chronic pain, especially in fatigue disorders.
At Vitalise, we can walk together a path of transformation towards a more energised body, resilient heart and clear mind. If you feel called to explore how the combination of nutrition, herbal medicine, lifestyle coaching and psychological support can help you in removing chronic fatigue ad chronic pain, I’d invite you to book a coaching session with me. There’s no cost involved and I’ll be honoured to be of service to you!
