Itis and Algia
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astritis,
myositis, lymphadenitis, tendinitis, polymyalgia, cephalgia, neuralgia,
sinusitis, urethritis, fasciitis. Hey,
what’s going on here? I just came in with a sore throat, a cold, congestion
and a muscle ache. And, well ...it hurts when I pee.
I thought I could just get some antibiotics and pain pills, maybe a
muscle relaxant, be told to be a “good boy” and then be on my way.
Hey, what’s with these “itises
and algias”? Can’t they speak to me in something other than “doctorese”?
(But would I pay for it?) You know, one
day I came in with a stiff neck and left with cervical myofasciitis, neuritis
and causalgia. But that was not
as bad as the day I went to the doctor with gastritis and left with vaginitis.
Even my burning feet have plantar fasciitis!
My joints are popping, my feet are burning, my stomach aches and of
course, I ran that extra mile, my shoes don’t fit, I drank that extra soda (it
was so good!), lifted just a bit more than I should.
I hurt!
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P |
ain = algia. Inflammation and pain. Inflammation, soreness. (Now we’re getting somewhere!) Soreness, redness, swelling, heat (dolor, rubor, thermor, calor). Feel your bill going up? But what is the redness, and why the swelling, and what makes it hot and painful? (Now we’re getting complex!) With the insult to the integrity of the body tissue, bioactive substances called kinins, histarnines and leukotrienes, as well as other blood components, leak from the blood vessels and permeate the injured area, precipitating an inflammatory reaction. This prompts the attraction of various white blood cells and initiates the healing process.
So that means anything sore is an “itis”? Correct.
You mean tendinitis is soreness of my wrist when I move it back and forth? Yes.
And sinusitis is soreness and swelling of my sinuses? Yes.
And gastritis is soreness of my stomach? Right again.
So what does the algia have to do with it?
Pain is a sensation, usually discomfort or distress, a suffering due to an irritation or stimulation of the sensory nerve by the release of bioactive substances; it is one of the cardinal symptoms of inflammation and a major motivator besides. Pains which are sudden (broken legs, insect bites and bruises) are called “acute.” Those which are re-aggravations, insults to a previous injury, are called “chronic” (routine motions or repetitive irritations leading to a sore back, painful joints, tendons, stomachs, etc.)
As pain and inflammation lead to the healing process, some controlling influence brings order out of disorder, an eventual resting state to rapidly multiplying cells which have been remodeled into newly synthesized fibrous tissue (feel stiff?) to produce purposeful structural patterns such as blood vessels, ligaments and bone.
Cancer, on the other hand, would be a failure to achieve this resting state.
So that means anything painful is
an algia? Yes. Cephalgia is pain in
the head (headache). Neuralgia is
pain in the nerves and myalgia is pain in the muscles. Catching on?
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o what can be done for inflammation and pain? The pills for my tendinitis give me gastritis; the ones for my sinusitis give me cephalgia; and the medicine for my bronchitis gives me dermatitis - and I’m sure that the pills for my myalgia led to my neuralgia and fibrositis. Even exercise led to my tendinitis and bursitis, and good nutrition caused my colitis and cholecystitis, not to mention how I felt after manipulation, stimulation, massage, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and anti-virals. To tell the truth, the vacation helped me feel the best!
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eriously though, we calm the “algia” by
relieving and removing pressure and
irritation. Elimination of inflammation requires an understanding of the
underlying cause of the reaction. Antibiotics, antiseptics and anti-virals (penicillin, Keflex, Tetracycline, Betadine,
Zovirax) help eradicate bacteria and viruses which take advantage of the
breakdown in the host defenses (normal mucous, skin barriers, muscles and
ligamentous integrity). Anti-inflammatories
(aspirin, Motrin, Advil, and Ibuprofen), antihistamines (Benadryl and Tagamet) help
counteract the bioactive components leading to the nerve stimulation. Proper
nutrition aids in the availability of regenerative tissue components.
Manipulation, massage, stimulation and exercise help the structural form reflect
the function.
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B |
y understanding the influence of inflammation and
attempting to avoid pain, we reach for that resting state of balance. Our
journey home is the healing of a vast wound as we counteract pathways with
anesthetics, opiates, neuromodulators, medications, biofeedback, meditation, the
effects of
endogenous opiate receptors, fun, no fun -always seeking the source of the power
of healing and balance. Doesn’t it always come down to a question of
balance? Balancing forces, forces out of balance, stress.
So when your doctor charges that
extra little bit for a long list of “itises and algias,” try walking in and
saying that you have pharyngitis, lymphadenitis and urethritis and see if he
says you have a sore throat, swollen glands and pain when you pee - and then see
how much he charges you!
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