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Originally Posted by lynn P.
Great answers so far. If you hurt in many places you might want to ask your doctor about Fibromyalgia. When the body is under stress we produce cortisol which causes inflammation. In addition many people who are depressed often feel physical pain which is why I like that Cymbalta commercial - it's not just mental it's physical too. But if your pain's a 9 you should ask for a more specific diagnosis.
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Actually cortisol is an anti-inflammatory. Cortisone injections into chronically inflammed and painful joints is a treatment for some things, and hydrocortisone cream on ezcema or skin irritations help relieve that.
Inflammation is caused by basically anything that creates an immune response. It can be a foreign body causing inflammation, or it can be your own immune system attacking yourself. It isn't just swelling, in a classic case being an infection the inflammatory response creates "PRISH" which is Pain, Redness, Immobility, Swelling, and Heat. Same thing can be seen in autoimmune disorders such as RA. The affected joints become swollen red and painful, hard to move and hot feeling.
Have you been given a diagnosis for your pain? or did they just say it's inflammation? Usually a diagnosis will have the suffix -itis on the end of the word which indicates an inflammation of the root. Treatment options for inflammation would be NSAIDs like naproxen or ibuprofen...or stronger steroid drugs. However because the steroid drugs work by lowering immune response it leaves you open to more infections/colds/flus/whatever.