Not only is chronic inflammation associated with pain, but is increasingly being viewed as a key component of disease progression in conditions as varied as asthma, chronic fatigue, depression and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, resolution of chronic or silent inflammation lies at the heart of all attempts to treat and prevent many diseases.
Natural Medicine for Inflammation and Pain
If you have one of the many diseases associated with chronic inflammation, determining how you wish to address the disease will be easier. But what about those of you who don’t have a diagnosed disease and are concerned about whether chronic inflammation may be draining energy from your body, weakening your immune system and eventually contributing to debilitating conditions? If your body’s terrain (your biochemical and physiological environment) is unhealthy, it is similar to a stagnant river and you are more predisposed to inflammation. So would it be worthwhile to get tested with the recommended inflammation blood tests? If you answer “yes” to more than three of the following questions, you could benefit from a hsCPR (an improved highly sensitive C-reactive protein) and/or sedimentation rate blood test.
- Do you smoke?
- Do you have diabetes?
- Do you have gum disease?
- Are you overweight?
- Are you always craving carbohydrates?
- Are you constantly hungry?
- Are you tired, especially after exercising?
- Are your fingernails brittle?
- Are you constipated?
- Are you groggy upon waking?
- Do you have difficulty concentrating?
- Do you have headaches?
In order to determine what triggers may be contributing to silent inflammation in your body, further testing may be worthwhile to evaluate your nutrient levels, your toxic load, your ability to process estrogens, your body’s ability to detoxify or the status of your mitochondria.
In addition to eating an anti-inflammatory diet, getting exercise, and losing weight, acupuncture may be necessary for pain control and managing stress. Herbal and nutritional therapies may also be indicated to counter the effects of inflammatory triggers that are difficult to avoid such as environmental toxins or allergies.
