Inflammation: Your Body’s Defense Burns Threats But Causes Problems When it Becomes Chronic

You could call chronic inflammation an epidemic. The vast majority of people who experience chronic inflammation, do so without even knowing it. According to the NIH / National Institutes of Health 3 of 5 people die due to chronic inflammation diseases such as:

  • Stroke
  • Chronic respiratory diseases
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer 
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes

A 2024 Study determined that over 34% of US adults have systemic inflammation and chronic diseases associated with chronic inflammation are expected to rise.  Hopefully, it is evident that chronic inflammation is a problem and a huge contributor to everything from joint pain, arthritis, headaches, heart disease, diabetes and more. 

Inflammation Helps Healing Until it Doesn’t

We actually need inflammation. The inflammatory response is a critical part of the immune system. When we get injured or have an infection inflammation is the body’s way of burning away pathogens and repairing damage. After the threat has been eliminated the inflammation should subside.  Inflammation longer than 3 months is chronic inflammation and it can trigger more serious conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, and more. The more inflammation you have the more at risk you are for serious issues.  A study of centenarians found inflammation levels were an accurate predictor of longevity. This suggests keeping inflammation low is a great strategy in improving your health. 

Short Term Solutions Don’t Help

Often we are given prescriptions for anti-inflammatory medications like NSAIDS (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin) during the acute stage when the inflammation is serving a very important function. These medications have no use during the chronic stage. So, we are often disrupting the inflammation during healing and using them when they have no impact during the chronic stage. These drugs can disrupt the bacterial microbiome of the gut, exacerbating the problem. 

Some Causes of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic systemic inflammation and the chronic degenerative diseases associated with inflammation are the biggest challenges to long term health. Our modern lifestyle is linked to the development of inflammation. Here are a few examples:

  • Stress
  • Sedentary life
  • Unhealthy food
  • Toxins
  • Spinal joint dysfunction and nerve inflammation

The chronic inflammation over time leads to a host of challenges like:

  • Heart disease
  • Neurodegenerative disease
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Depression

The Role of Diet!

What you eat is potentially the biggest driver of inflammation. Our food is often full of chemicals to preserve it, flavor it, color it, and emulsify it. In addition sugar is a larger driver of inflammation.  Unfortunately, what we eat does not give us any short term indication of the damage it is doing. That heart attack comes after decades of poor diet. Same with diabetes, cancer and most other chronic degenerative diseases. What can you do with a diet to reduce inflammation?

  • Avoid ultra processed foods
  • Avoid any foods you know you are allergic or sensitive to
  • Some people are very sensitive to dairy and gluten

What Else?

Activity also has a lot to do with inflammation. A sedentary lifestyle was noted above as a contributor to inflammation. In 2021 a study found that prolonged sitting raises the markers for inflammation in the blood.  Greater muscle mass contributes to the production of more anti-inflammatory molecules. For this and other reasons some resistance training is a valuable component of an anti inflammatory exercise program. 

Stress…the Silent Inflammatory Source

Stress is one of the more difficult topics to cover and explain. It is intangible, invisible, and is often not experienced directly. Yet, it is a major contributor to chronic inflammation.  Stress activates the body’s Sympathetic “fight or flight” System, triggering the release of chemicals and hormones that drive up inflammation.  The first thing you can and should do is reduce or eliminate those sources of stress that you have some control over. The problem is this leaves a constant, daily source of stress triggers. What can you do? Learn how to self-regulate your nervous system and by doing this you can rewire your body’s stress response. At Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley we combine conscious breathwork with corrective chiropractic care to transform how your nervous system responds to stress.  If you would like to schedule your first appointment at Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley you can use this link: Schedule Here.