Inflammation Remedies

Every one of us will experience inflammation at different times in our lives. Every disease, condition, and injury produces some form of inflammation. Patients often tell me that they feel inflamed and don't know the cause. I want to share some tips and steps to take to reduce inflammation without having to resort to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which can cause many problems for the body over time.

There are two types of inflammation; acute and chronic. Acute inflammation occurs when blood vessels dilate, and immune cells release cytokines in response to a pathogen, injury, wound, etc. Certain immune cells like neutrophils will go to the area in the body where there is an injury or pathogen. These immune cells and cytokines bring inflammatory factors to heal the injury, pathogen or infection. This can be seen as redness and/or swelling and felt as pain. Acute inflammation ceases when the injury or problem has been resolved.

In the case of chronic inflammation, similar cytokines are sent to an area, but the issue is not resolved because of reasons like chronic stress, food sensitivities, unresolved structural issues, emotional imbalances, and biochemistry imbalances. Chronic inflammation eventually leads to disease and other conditions because of the overexcitation of these inflammatory factors over a long period of time. Here’s the bottom line - inflammation is necessary and beneficial in the short term for healing, balance, and homeostasis, but in the long run it causes damage and should be addressed to avoid the manifestation of disease.

What Are The Causes of Inflammation?

1 - Biochemistry Imbalances: Microbial imbalances in the gut, toxins, food sensitivities (these are very common), and not being supported with our individual nutritional requirements causes inflammation. Every one of us has different requirements based on our genetics. One person may require a certain form of vitamin B12 like Hydroxycobalamin, another person may require a specific type of Folate, like Folinic acid, and another may require a specific type of Magnesium like Magnesium Malate. A person can activate only specific types of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids and be used effectively.

I don’t know of any modality other than muscle testing that you can be as specific to what an individual’s requirements may be and what is clinically relevant. When a practitioner looks at blood work, generally there is a limitation in how a practitioner knows what type of specific supplement will work with that person’s body. For example, if B12 is low in blood work, how does a practitioner know what type of B12 to recommend? Should the practitioner recommend Adenosylcobalamin, Hydroxycobalamin or Methylcobalamin? Muscle testing identifies the individual specificity of what one requires and eliminates the guessing game.

Eradicating clinically relevant microbial imbalances, detoxification from toxins like heavy metals and environmental pollutants, staying away from food sensitivities and getting on the right nutritional supplements are effective ways to reduce inflammation. No one can get all they require from the current state of our food supply. Due to over farming practices and soil depletion we are not getting what we need from our food, and this is just one reason why nutritional supplementation is essential.

Over time the body may require different nutrients. If you have been taking the same supplements for a long time and don’t feel as well as you had previously, this is an indication that something has shifted in your body’s requirements.

2 - Pro-inflammatory Diet: Sugar, processed and fried foods, alcohol, soda, smoking are all culprits of inflammation in the body. These foods/substances can make your gut more permeable, and damage the lining over time leading to leaky gut syndrome. Leaky Gut syndrome means foods and microorganisms leak into the bloodstream which causes inflammation.

3 - Structural Imbalances: Spinal misalignments, bad sitting habits (or just sitting more than we were meant to), muscle spasticity from computer work, tendon and ligament imbalances, cranial bone misalignments, running or other high-stress activity, immobility (not moving enough), not breathing deeply, these all contribute to inflammation.

Use a foam roller or tennis ball to do fascial manipulation, do yoga, qi gong, get chiropractic care, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, massage, do postural therapies, breathing exercises, and rotational movements to reduce inflammation. Bodywork should be an integral part of any anti-inflammatory routine. All of these methods produce anti-inflammatory neurotransmitters and body chemicals to help reduce inflammation.

4 - Emotional/Mental imbalances: Stress in our lives leads to inflammation. It keeps our cortisol levels high and keeps us in an active state of fight or flight. The fight or flight response was better suited for our hunter-gatherer neanderthal days when it was required for survival. In our modern lives, if we are constantly in fight or flight and under stress, the stress hormones are consistently produced causing inflammation and slowly damage our bodies.

Our emotional and mental states must be cared for equally. Mind-body techniques like Neuroemotional technique, EMDR, and Core Energetics are great to help the mental and emotional bodies let go of things holding us back in life. Certain forms of psychotherapy can be beneficial. Also, energy techniques like shamanism, breath work, reiki, and intuitive forms of healing can have a profound ability to release our subconscious blocks. We all have stuff to work on, like things we are holding onto from our childhoods or unresolved issues from our past.

The majority of our actions are based on our subconscious minds. Most of us don’t know why certain things trigger us. If we don’t work on “our stuff” through some outlet, the universe has an amazing way of repeating similar uncomfortable circumstances in our lives. Perhaps with different actors and different sets, but with similar themes until we let go of our crap.

My favorite tool to tame my monkey mind is meditation. I try to meditate twice a day (morning and evening). Even if it is for five minutes, it is in the silence of meditation that I can be less reactive and create a more balanced attitude. Numerous studies have shown meditation’s effect on reducing key inflammatory factors like C-reactive protein in blood work.

Health Conditions Related to Inflammation

IBS, COPD, Asthma, Allergies, Autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Fibromyalgia, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndromes, Lyme Disease, Costochondritis, Migraines, Uveitis, Radiculopathies, Sciatica, Appendicitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Heart disease, Bronchitis, Gallstones, Hepatitis, Carpal Tunnel, Endometriosis, Diverticulitis, etc.

More Ways to Reduce Inflammation

1 - Natural Anti-inflammatory Supplements: Certain nutritional supplements have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Turmeric, CBD oil, bromelain, Antronex, celery seed extract, Boswellia, resveratrol, Saligesic, borage oil, and other omega supplements can have anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

2 - Certain Foods: Papaya, pomegranate, blue and blackberries, wild salmon, not too ripe avocado, spices like ginger, basil and oregano have anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

3 - Drink Half Your Body Weight in Ounces of Filtered Water per Day: Do not drink tap water unfiltered, as you are getting chlorine and possibly metals from the pipes. 

4 - Sound Healing: Binaural beats/isochronic tones, crystal bowls, Tibetan bowls, solfeggio tones or listening to some of your favorite music can help to promote anti-inflammatory factors in the body.

5 - Nature: Get out into nature, touch the earth, get out of the city, or at the very least go to a park.

6 - Reduce Your Exposure to EMFs: Radio frequency has been linked to inflammation and health problems. The World Health Organization has classified radio frequencies as a carcinogen. Avoid talking on your phone without a wired headset. Ditch the blue tooth headphones. Avoid using blue tooth devices on your body (like fit bits etc.). Put your phone in airplane mode, when you are not using it or when it is in your pocket. Turn your Wifi off at night or when you don’t require it.

About the Author

Dr. Louis Granirer is a Leading NY Holistic Chiropractor and Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner. Learn more about Natural Remedies for Severe and Chronic Illness by visiting his website at HolisticChiropraticCenter.com.