Inflammation and Pain
I have been getting a lot of questions about inflammation so this week I decided to spend some time on this topic.
Understanding inflammation matters because it is a major part of all chronic, complex conditions ranging from chronic stress or anxiety, gut dysfunction to pain, heart disease and diabetes.
So what is Inflammation?
It's actually your immune system repairing itself after an injury or fighting some sort of infection.
We have all felt acute inflammation after an injury that results in pain, redness, heat, and swelling. After the damage is healed the inflammation goes away.
But inflammation can also be more silent when at a low level. This type of inflammation is more harmful over the long term. Especially for the heart!
How can you tell you have inflammation?
Low-level inflammation is silent but many will experience general joint aches and pains, rashes, fatigue, and low mood.
We can also evaluate inflammation though a lab panel. I use the pannel by Sprecracell Lab - Called the Cardiometabolic test. This is a specialty test for inflammation and cholesterol that you can not get at the regular doctor's office.
What can you do?
When it comes to inflammation we want to find the TRIGGERS and treat the TRIGGERS. This is the only way to reduce inflammation for good in the long run. Classic triggers often comes from:
Foods - like gluten, lectins, nightshades
Silent infections in the gut, bladder, and mouth
Emotional stress and lack of sleep
Environmental triggers like dist, pollution, chemicals, pollen and molds.
I generally can get a pretty good idea on the triggers just from an office consultation and detailed history. Functional lab testing can also help when it's less obvious.
Trusted and New Remedies for Inflammation
Now there are many anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating herbs that offer excellent support. I definitely recommend using them to protect your self from inflammation as you work on searching for the triggers. I have worked with many over the years and here are a few of the favorites that I have worked with.
Turmeric, ginger and rosemary spices as teas or in food offer a foundation
Curcuma Longa and Boswellia standardized extract in a liposomal form
Specific Pro resolving Mediators (SPMs) is a new substance that we naturally make to recover from inflammation. They have potent anti-inflammatory properties and can be made from fish oil to be given at a much higher dosage.