Inflammation – your body’s greatest defense – can also be its greatest enemy.
Fire is one of man’s greatest tools. It can power large factories and keep our homes warm. At the same time, if unchecked and out of control, it can burn down thousands of acres of trees in a day. A small spark can cause an electrical fire that can destroy a home in an instant. Inflammation, like fire, can be very useful in certain situations but detrimental in others.
“In a healthy situation, inflammation serves as a good friend to our body,” says Mansour Mohamadzadeh, PhD, director of the Center for Inflammation and Mucosal Immunology at the University of Florida. “But if immune cells start to overreact, that inflammation can be totally directed against us.”
Let’s start by looking at the benefits of a healthy inflammatory response:
- It’s the body’s healthy response to outside threats like stress, inflections or toxic chemicals.
- It helps in protecting a wound or fighting off an illness. The swelling, redness, and warmth are signs that your immune system is sending white blood cells, immune cell-stimulating growth factors, and nutrients to heal the affected areas.
- It prepares you for battle. Your body releases C-reactive proteins in response to inflammation. This is a natural part of your body’s biological “fight or flight” response to stress.
- Inflammation is a healthy and necessary function for healing.
However, chronic and unchecked Inflammation can cause or is linked to:
- Damage to your gut lining, causing good nutrients to escape the blood and allowing pathogens to invade.
- Damage to your joints.
- Higher risk of heart disease.
- Higher risk of cancer.
- Higher risk of depression.
- Difficulty losing weight.
What can we do to prevent your body’s greatest defense from becoming your body’s greatest enemy?
- Make sure your aOS (the control system for your inflammatory response) is working properly.
- Remove any foods that cause an inflammatory response i.e. gluten and dairy.
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
- Our bodies are designed for movement. Make sure to get 20-30 minutes of exercise daily.
If you are suffering from Chronic Inflammation please call 904.310.0064 or visit our website (www.precisionchirofl.com) to schedule a complimentary consultation. Our job at Precision Chiropractic is to make sure you have a high functioning aOS so your body works for you, not against you.
