Inflammation the root of disease

Inflammation – the root of disease

Inflammation literally means “on fire”.  When inflammation occurs, it’s essentially an

immune response is taking place at one or multiple areas of the body.  Inflammation doesn’t just happen but rather something essentially triggers an immune response in the body which can present symptomatically as pain, redness and swelling.  Inflammation can also be silent in the body and cause havoc without you physically knowing it.

Inflammation destroys tissues

Regardless of the diagnosis, when inflammation is present, there’s internal destruction taking place.  Once this destruction begins it usually gains momentum over time.  When the individual is sick enough it will usually bring them to the doctor’s office where the inflammatory disease will be given a name usually based on the zone of involvement or the area of complaint.  I find this bizarre.  Mainstream medicine describes hundreds of individual diseases, each named by symptom or area of the body effected, but interestingly; inflammation is virtually at the root of every one of them.

There are also subtle versions of inflammation called chronic low-grade inflammation.  This condition is essentially silent and one may not know there’s a destructive process occurring in the body.  The only symptoms these individuals may feel are mild fatigue, loss of vigor and general malaise; something they can’t quite put their finger on, however they know something’s wrong.

Causes

Inflammation can stem from various triggers and numerous sources such as stress, injury, chemicals, foods (e.g. gluten in grains), immune system over activation, bacteria, viruses, toxins and other sources.

Treatment

The typical treatment patients usually receive is medication (e.g. prednisone, NSAIDs) which allows for symptom suppression.  Unfortunately it’s usually non-specific, not going to cure anything, may only temporarily suppress it and in some cases the patient becomes sicker with side-effects from the medication.

Treatment requires a full understanding of what is going on with the body by evaluation specific biomarkers on a blood test.  Only lab testing can truly tell you if you’re inflamed or not.  These tests include cardio-CRP and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).  All of my patients get CRP testing done so we can establish a base line and see if you’re inflamed.

Healthcare satisfaction

Many patients are unsatisfied with the standard of care they are receiving from their doctor.  Patients today are more educated and they don’t want symptom suppression anymore.  Giving a pill for inflammation is essentially like turning the fire alarm off, meanwhile the fire is still going.  The modern patient wants to find out what’s causing the problem and how to correct it.

Natural medicine treatment of inflammation is always scientifically supported.  In dealing with inflammation, the major areas of concern are diet, nutrition, toxins, infection, emotional stress, endocrine disruptors and lifestyle. A cardio-CRP test will identify an inflammatory state.  Other testing can determine the root of the inflammation.

We use medical nutrition in the form of diet as well as specific nutrients to achieve anti-inflammatory effects, reduce oxidative stress and rebuild the tissues of the body.  All of the treatment protocols are natural and non-toxic so it will enhance the body in many areas while eliminating the cause of the inflammation.