by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath
I hear about aching joints all the time and from varying degrees. This could be as mild as slight ache upon waking in the morning or standing up from your desk after sitting for a few hours, all the way to the extreme of chronic excruciating pain on a daily basis.
Regardless of mild to extreme joint pain, this is something that needs to be addressed at the core so this does not continue to lead to deeper chronic challenges.
We will first address the leading cause of your joint pain, which is inflammation. Understand that when your body is inflamed, you will produce a neurotransmitter/inflammatory mediator referred to as bradykinin. Human beings respond to bradykinin as a pain response and presented with aching joints for many.
You may think based on what I shared that the bradykinin and/or inflammation is the major culprit here but it is not. It is also essential to understand why you are personally stuck in a chronic inflammatory condition, which is leading to the experience of your joint pain. To understand this, you have to look at your body’s natural anti-inflammatory, which is the hormone cortisone.
Cortisone is produced in your adrenal glands as a conversion from the hormone cortisol, which is our primary stress response hormone. This leads us into understanding the role of adrenal function in overcoming inflammatory conditions such as joint pain. Far too often, people have enough adrenal vitality to create an inflammatory response as a part of a positive healing crisis, but lacking the vitality to produce enough cortisone to create the needed anti-inflammatory response. When this is the case, we end up floundering in some level of pain on a consistent basis.
If you are one of these people, you completely understand what I am talking about.
So if you are looking to provide your body the opportunity to escape joint pain, achieving improved function of your adrenal hormone production is a key. Perhaps you’re wondering to yourself, how the heck would I know if I have an adrenal hormone production issue? If this is your question, feel free to take this complimentary adrenal assessment below.
Free Adrenal Assessment
Now if you have already reviewed the adrenal assessment in the past and you understand that adrenal function is a likely issue for you, I only have one question for you.
What are you waiting for?!
If you are suffering with joint pain and adrenal insufficiency is likely an issue, get your adrenal function tested right away. Here at Depke Wellness we always use adrenal saliva testing and look at cortisol four times during the day, a total cortisol level, DHEA average, a ration of the two and also other end result hormones such as estradiol, estriol, progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione and melatonin. This provides us the comprehensive picture needed to understand your adrenal function and make the necessary recommendations to assist your body in balancing your adrenal hormone production. And don’t forget that your body’s natural anti-inflammatory cortisone if a conversion from the hormone cortisol, so having this information is key to overcoming joint pain.
Get Your Adrenal Hormones Tested
We’re are going to take this one step deeper though to get to the bottom of your aching joints. Not only is it essential to assess and address your adrenal hormone production to allow your body to create an optimal anti-inflammatory response, it is also important to address what is causing your adrenal issues in the first place.
These are the key factors that exhaust your adrenal function.
- The standard American diet (SAD) high in sugar, processed foods and stimulants such as caffeine.
- Food sensitivities, which are food choices that inflame your body.
- Chronic mental/emotional stress that impacts our daily lives.
- Chronic infection, which is most likely gut pathogens
- Inflammation!
Yes, inflammation is not only a response of poor adrenal function but chronic inflammation will also exhaust your adrenal hormone production because when you are living with the joint pain/inflammatory issue, your adrenals will have to pump out cortisol to convert to the natural anti-inflammatory cortisone on a regular basis. To be completely candid with you, we all have enough other stress in our lives that is requiring cortisol, without putting the added burden of chronic inflammation.
This is why we always look at the combination of your adrenal function and underlying causes of adrenal insufficiency when address joint pain and discomfort with our clients.
So if you do live with any level of joint pain, do yourself a favor and get to the bottom of this before it leads to even deeper chronic conditions.
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