At my clinic, Body of Health, our specialty is treating inflammation. We are trained to address most types of inflammation with Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT). Many of the clients I see have no outward signs of swelling, but yet they have chronic inflammation within their bodies. Let me explain.
Inflammation is not just about swelling! It is a warning signal that our bodies are fighting something. Now, while most people do, in fact, associate swelling with inflammation, that is not the only time our bodies can be inflamed.
There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic (sometimes called systemic). Acute inflammation arises after something like a cut or scrape in the skin, an infected ingrown nail, a sprained ankle, or a sore throat. It is short-term and the effects subside after a few days.
Inflammation is a vital part of the body’s immune response. It is the body’s attempt to heal itself after an injury, defend itself against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, or repair damaged tissue.
Chronic inflammation is long-term and occurs in “wear and tear” conditions. Lifestyle or environmental factors, such as excess weight, stress, smoking, and poor eating habits can lead to chronic inflammation. Over time the body is not able to handle these factors and creates an immune response which leads to cellular inflammation. This type of inflammation is an important alarm that the body is fighting something and has the ability to create disease. There are subtle symptoms that you might experience such as fatigue, digestive problems, joint pain, headaches, insomnia, and brain fog.
Scientists are still working to understand all the implications of chronic inflammation on the body’s health, but it is clear that it affects the body in many ways. Some of them include heart disease, bone health, cancer, fibromyalgia, and degenerative disease just to name a few.
So, what can we do to be proactive and minimize chronic inflammation? Plenty! Have you lymph system checked by a lymphatic therapist. By stimulating the lymphatic system with manual therapy, your body can absorb more toxins and fluids to help reduce inflammation and swelling.
Another way to minimize inflammations is Lifestyle! This is the key to creating an environment inside the body that is neutral and void of inflammation. Eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables. Drink as much water as it takes to turn your urine clear. Get at least 7 hours of sleep every day, and exercise thirty minutes four times a week. By neutralizing toxins and giving the cells what they need to function optimally, your body will be balanced and able to handle the stress that causes inflammation.