Category Archives: Chronic pain management
A new culprit in Type 2 Diabetes
Fat rather than sugar may be the most significant culprit in the development of diabetic neuropathy in Type 2 diabetics. Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes. It can occur anywhere but commonly in legs and feet leading … Continue reading
You are what you eat in chronic pain
Over the last decade we have seen a flood of evidence linking a poor diet with chronic health conditions. But what about chronic pain? Until recently the role of diet in relation to chronic pain in most areas has been … Continue reading
Holistic Pain Management Podcast 2
This podcast is a follow up to Holistic Pain Management Part 1 and in it Andrew Whitfield-Cook and I discuss some of the treatment strategies that are employed as part of a holistic approach to chronic pain. Holistic Pain Management … Continue reading
Holistic Pain Management – Part 1
In this podcast I discuss the origins and assessment of chronic pain with Andrew Whitfield-Cook. It was important for me to get across that chronic pain persists for reasons beyond peripheral input. While that may be part of the issue, … Continue reading
Negative expectations of pain
It might surprise you (or not!) to know that I was the only nutritionist/naturopath at the recent Australian Pain Society conference. The attendees were largely made up of pain researchers, physiotherapists and psychologists with some GPs thrown in to the … Continue reading
Imaging Tests don’t help low back pain
I recently attended the annual Australian Pain Society (APS) conference in Adelaide. A commonly agreed message from presenters is that once you have chronic pain, imaging does not help. Not only are X-rays, CT scans and MRIs not helpful in … Continue reading
Sleep Deprivation & Chronic Pain
In this podcast with Audra Starkey aka The Healthy Shift Worker I talk about how chronic pain is essentially an oversensitive nervous system response. I also discuss how sleep and pain are bio-directional, meaning pain can disturb our sleep and … Continue reading
Vitamin D and chronic pain
When it comes to the management of chronic pain one of the nutrients I consider in many cases is vitamin D. The idea that there was a link between chronic pain and vitamin D levels came from a paper I … Continue reading
An after-meal stroll can help improve diabetes
The causes of chronic pain are many and varied but a condition I see with increasing frequently is chronic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy. This isn’t particularly surprising given the significant rise in Type 2 diabetes in Australia. Treatment usually … Continue reading
A conventional view of naturopathy in chronic pain
A set of excellent guidelines by NPS MedicineWise includes complementary medicine approaches as part of overall health care planning for those in chronic pain. The specific recommendations also include aspects of life such as physical fitness, mood, sleep, relaxation and … Continue reading
