Preventing Metabolic Syndrome

Pain is the leading reason why people come to my practice, and it is the common link between untreated metabolic syndrome and untreated diabetes. I personally evaluate and treat several thousand patients per year for chronic pain, in an urban setting where access to high-intensity healthcare is readily available through several large academic centers as well as government-sponsored outreach clinics. Unfortunately, despite the availability of cutting-edge medical treatment, the overall health of individuals and populations continues to decline each year. Over 90% of the patients have untreated metabolic syndrome and over 60% have undiagnosed pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Pain is the final common symptom for the human body to signal impending tissue damage, and most patients avoid contact with the health delivery system until they develop a symptom that they can no longer ignore. Unfortunately, my clinical practice is not unique; pain is the leading reason for patients seeking medical care and is one of the most disabling, burdensome, and costly conditions in the United States. Overall, pain care/treatment and lost productivity costs the U.S. $635 billion per year. Hyper-inflammation is the common link between metabolic syndrome and chronic pain.