Signs You’re Suffering from Chronic Inflammation

When it comes to aching and soreness, we often blame the discomfort on an old injury or aging. However, in recent decades, a developing understanding of the physiology of inflammation has helped us transform the way we view and treat the painful conditions associated with it. In addition, improvements in diet and lifestyle can go a long way in helping you manage your joint pain if you know what to look for. So what are some common signs of chronic inflammation, and what home remedies help prevent or treat it?

What is Inflammation?

Acute inflammation in the body is an important signal that gets our attention to take care of physical issues and acts as an essential part of healing processes. For example, if we experience an injury, the heat and swelling associated with inflammation contribute to pain that encourages immobilization and rest. However, that same inflammation will also recruit immune cells to fight any infection, mobilize nearby cells to heal the damaged tissues and move away from any damaged tissues from the repair site. Unfortunately, inflammation can linger due to certain immune or systemic conditions, and this chronic state of alert can keep the body from healing correctly, perpetuating pain.

Signs of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is different from acute inflammation and occurs when your body sends an inflammatory response to areas even when there is no outside danger. Because this type of inflammation can be triggered by dietary and lifestyle choices and happens over time, signs can be harder to spot within the body. You might notice:

• Abdominal pain or gastric distress
• Chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue, feeling worn down
• Aching, heat, throbbing, or stiffness around joints that comes and goes
• Skin rashes like eczema or psoriasis

In many cases, the digestive and immune systems are involved. Over time, inflammation can lead to permanent and irreversible damage to cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bones, and even cardiac and vascular tissues.

Tips for Inflammation Prevention

Many tenets of modern life, such as stress, exposure to chemicals in our environments and food supplies, difficulty sleeping, and sedentary lifestyles, can all contribute to chronic inflammation in our systems. Here are a few changes you can make to help reduce inflammation: 

• Add moderate daily exercise with appropriate resting periods to limit inflammation in the body.
• Trade cooking oils for ghee (clarified butter); high butyrate levels can decrease pro-inflammatory proteins in the gut.
• Spend 10-15 minutes in the sun daily to boost Vitamin D levels, which are shown to modulate immune/inflammatory responses.
• Reduce inflammation-inducing stress through mindful movement practices like yoga or meditation.

Tips for Chronic Inflammation Treatment 

If you suspect chronic inflammation is the source of lingering pain in your joints and around the body, meeting with your medical support team is essential to prevent further damage and find lasting relief. In the meantime, the following are tips to begin treating inflammation at home.

• Improve immune and gut health by cooking with anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, black pepper, and cinnamon added to ghee.
• Limit dairy, sugars, refined grains or meats, and fried foods, which can contribute to inflammation in the body.
• Practice sleep hygiene to develop a regular sleep schedule, as inconsistent or reduced sleep is associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers.

We Treat Your Pain with Care and Compassion

When inflammatory pain conditions are too far advanced to manage alone, you can count on the professionals at MAPS Centers for Pain Control to understand the complexity of your case with compassion and to provide thoughtful and practical care. We are committed to approaching your treatment with non-surgical, minimally invasive options that combine the most advanced FDA-approved treatments with holistic and comprehensive modalities for fast and reliable pain relief. Have questions about how we can help? Contact us today to schedule your consultation.