By Justin and Clara Hamel
After 15 years of physical, functional and integrative medicine experience, one common denominator stands out as consistently present with pain, dysfunction and chronic illness. The underlying constant in this array of disorders is inflammation.
In general when we think of inflammation, we think of it as an accompaniment to pain after an injury or as one of the symptoms associated with degenerative changes that come with aging. Individuals associate inflammation with the swelling from a sprained ankle or the reason one’s knees are sore after a long day in the garden. While these are examples of inflammation, the true story of inflammation is much more complicated.
Inflammation is critical for the body’s immune response and healing. It helps protect against injuries, infections and foreign invaders. Acute inflammation is a necessary response. It is a critical first step in the defense against pathogens and the first step in the healing process.
As evidenced above, sometimes inflammation is protective and works for an individual, however, long term inflammation is harmful and contributes to illnesses and diseases. While protective or acute inflammation is obvious (flushed skin, pain, tenderness, heat, swelling, mild fever or loss of motion), harmful or chronic inflammation can be much more difficult to notice and is commonly referred to as a silent killer. Chronic inflammation shows up as minor discomforts that individuals often ignore, or it can leave one feeling fatigued, having chest discomfort, abdominal pain, insomnia, overall stiffness, mouth sores, skin rash, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, weight loss, frequent infections or illness. Often the impact of chronic inflammation in these disorders is overlooked and undertreated.
The typical Western lifestyle is inundated with habits that promote inflammation. Low levels of physical exercise, prolonged stress, obesity, unhealthy microbiomes, diets high in sugar and trans-fats, alcohol consumption, poor sleep, exposure to toxins, and use of tobacco products all contribute to chronic inflammation. This is a concern for individual and national health as our current lifestyle promotes heart disease, diabetes, dementia and cancer.
How does inflammation promote all these diseases? Let’s start with heart disease. Inflammation is an immune response and when the immune system is activated for an extended period it can damage blood vessels, leading to a buildup of plaque, and eventually to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
In a similar way, chronic inflammation can contribute to the development of cancer as it leads to oxidative stress and free radicals. Oxidative stress and free radicals cause damage to cells and DNA and can lead to mutations resulting in cancer.
Fortunately, individuals have control over much of what promotes chronic inflammation in the body as well as an abundance of tools to decrease inflammation and help the body heal. This is great news! People can take control of their health and reduce inflammation with a few lifestyle
adjustments. Stay tuned for next week’s article to find out more about helpful strategies to decrease and treat chronic inflammation.
Dr. Justin Hamel and Clara Hamel have a combined over 30 years of experience in health fields. Reach them at 1° Performance & Longevity, located at 46 N. Central Park Plz., Suite 101, in Jacksonville, on Facebook or by phone at 217-243-6358.
