You would think that when it comes to the human body, scientists know all there is to know. But they don’t. Pain is caused when something triggers a nerve to send a pain signal to your brain.

Which is why, for years, scientists have been perplexed about a common phenomenon… How does someone experiencing chronic pain feel “pain” when there is no obvious injury? No obvious trigger?

Researchers from Stanford University have answered that question.

It turns out that a part of your body called the “extracellular matrix” (ECM) controls the cross talk between your immune system and your nervous system. After months of pain, changes begin to occur in your neurobiology — especially in your body’s ECM.

This huge, recently discovered “hidden” network of “sponge-like,” fluid-filled tissues, surrounds your brain, heart, lungs and every joint in your body. It’s largely made of proteins, like collagen and elastin. Part of its job is to act like a shock absorber to keep tissues from rupturing, while your organs, muscles, and blood vessels constantly pump and squeeze throughout the day.

But it has other critical functions, including gene regulation, stem cell development, immune system modulation, and the regulation of the peripheral and central nervous system. Stanford researchers discovered that chronic pain can alter the health of your ECM. They found major changes in the ECM in the hippocampus, your brain’s center for memory — which includes the memory of pain.

But the scientists also showed that just as your ECM can be altered by chronic pain, it can also be restored to health. Their latest research paper concludes that ECM therapies could be used to treat the “structural factors supporting the broader pain experience.” One of the best ways to restore the health of your ECM and kill chronic pain is to boost the key nutrients that support this vital network — like vitamins C, D and K2.^3,4

But one other important nutrient is so essential for your ECM, that a deficiency can cause it to seriously malfunction. I’m talking about collagen. This protein is the basic building block of your ECM — and the chances are, you’re not getting enough in your diet.

Just as your skin and bones use collagen as their building blocks, collagen molecules pack together to form matrix-like scaffolding that provides your ECM with strength and structure. You can get more collagen by eating wild-caught salmon, as well as eggs and avocados. But bone broth is where you’ll get the biggest collagen bang for your buck.

Soothe Away Your Pain with My Primal Chicken Bone Broth

Here’s my recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chicken parts including bones, neck, feet and wings
• 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, quartered and peeled
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
• 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 18-20 cups cold water

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a 10-quart stock pot. Cover with water.
2. Let sit for around 60 minutes. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Skim off any impurities that rise to the top. When nothing else rises to the top, add water to keep the level just above the bones.
4. Simmer for 15 to 24 hours. Then turn up the heat just a bit for the final simmer-down. This will concentrate the nutrients. Let simmer for another hour or two.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard solids and strain remainder through a colander.

Physical Injuries That Won’t Heal

If an injury that seems like it should have gotten better a long time ago is still causing you pain and suffering, it may feel very disheartening if doctors can’t determine why you’re not feeling better and loved ones can’t understand why you’re not back to your old self. Take heart, there are real explanations for your continued suffering.

A twisted ankle, broken leg, car accident, or other physical injury or trauma can wear down your body to a point where a pathogen such as Epstein-Barr (EBV) sees an opportunity to come out of dormancy and make the move to infection. If you require an operation, the pathogen sees even more of an opportunity, because surgery is usually accompanied by antibiotics.

The myelin sheaths covering the nerves in the area of the injury fray like strands of yarn, causing small nerve root hairs to come loose and hang or pop off the nerves. Injured nerves like these trigger an “alarm” hormone meant to bring your body’s healing mechanisms to the rescue. When a pathogen such as EBV is present in your system, though, it detects this hormone, too, and rushes over to take advantage and target the nerves. The disrupted root hairs give the pathogen the openings it needs to latch onto the nerves and keep them inflamed for a long period—sometimes years, if not addressed properly by taking care of your pathogen.

If you’re well into Stage Four of EBV, viral neurotoxins will also be released at record levels and cause nerve problems like never before— even without an accident or injury. As you’ve read about in previous symptoms, such as anxiety, tingles and numbness, and dizziness, high levels of these neurotoxins in the bloodstream create sensitized, allergic, inflamed nerves simply from proximity. The result is an extra difficult time healing when EBV is active in your system. Once you get rid of the virus, you can move forward.

Find out how to help heal injuries that haven't yet healed, including foods to avoid, foods to eat, and supplements with dosages in the NYT best-selling book, Cleanse To Heal.