As a doctor of physical therapy, gut health provides insight into why my patients (especially overweight or obese patients) develop osteoarthritis5 in non-weight-bearing joints like the wrist, by pointing to a problem with systemic inflammation. And while my patients understand how an out-of-whack gut affects digestion, they don’t always make the connection between gut health and joint pain or other problems like headaches, mood swings, weight gain, or fatigue that often accompany pain. When these tight junctions are injured, that barrier becomes inflamed and porous; bacteria, toxins, and undigested food particles start slipping through. We call these foreign invaders antigens, or foreign substances that trigger6 an immune response. A double whammy ensues: You’re not getting optimal nutrients while foreign invaders barge through, a condition called intestinal permeability or leaky gut. Today, Joe’s mission is to create a new paradigm around treating persistent pain and reverse our global pain epidemic. He is the creator of the Healing Pain Online Summit and The Healing Pain Podcast, designed to broaden the conversation around natural strategies toward solving persistent pain. He is also the author of Heal Your Pain Now, a revolutionary program to reset your brain and body for a pain-free life.
