The Silent Killer –Inflammation
GREG SPINDLER, LMT, CSBE
For all of us who want to lead an active lifestyle, we know that moving consistently, having flexibility, stability, and strength ratios are all important. We either hit the gym or participate in outdoor activities to keep us constantly improving. However, without even realizing it, there can be a lurking factor that holds back our potential, causing us to age prematurely and diminish our quality of life.
Let’s talk about INFLAMMATION! It is a serious problem for too many athletic-minded individuals that often results in severe symptoms. However, awareness and knowledge give us the power to overcome it.
Generally speaking, inflammation is not all that bad. Inflammation is actually the body’s natural response to trauma, injury, or bacteria and viruses that infect us. Inflammation, like in the common twisted ankle, occurs to help speed along the process of recovery. In the short term, this is a good thing. We get into trouble when inflammation becomes chronic. It can creep up so slowly that it is unrecognizable. Many times while I have palpated through bodywork, I have had to tell people that they have swollen parts of the body, and they didn’t even realize it. It was a constant state of living for them, the norm.
What can cause this change? Think of chronic inflammation way down at the cellular level…..Here’s why:
You have heard the saying, “We are what we eat.” No, actually we are what we can absorb. Consuming a poor unbalanced diet that is low in essential nutrients and minerals can begin the environment for inflammation in multiple areas of the body. Following the muscle to the tendon and to the bone, we have the connection site that is called enthesis. For a healthy connection, boron from food sources and other minerals need to be in the diet. A lack of it over time leads to serious strain and tears at this connection. You may have heard someone say, “My Achilles is taking so long to heal.” If you ask about their diet, you will likely discover that there is not valid support for proper enthesis health. Slight joint and body aches are the symptoms too, and they can be misunderstood as typical exercise soreness. Yes, the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is so true.
A lifestyle diet that has a dependency, AGE’s! What’s that? Advanced Glycation End products are inflammatory-causing compounds that occur when meats and grains are cooked at high heat. Yes, we’re talking about french fries and those famous fundraising doughnuts. It also includes everyone’s favorite in the south, fried chicken. Be careful not to overindulge as oxidative stress brings a host of diseases. Every once in awhile is fine! Personally, the 80/20 (80% healthy and 20% not so healthy) works for me. Tracking and logging your diet will reveal how much AGE’s you consume over the course of a month or so.
You may be surprised by your findings. In my office, I conduct diaphragmatic arch soft tissue therapy on a regular basis for a host of structural complications. I often notice inflamed livers. A liver that is under a lot of stress from excessive alcohol and pollutants is in a constant state of detoxification. This requires a lot of glucuronic acid which is needed for the important building of chondroitin to rebuild/support cartilage in joints. Another process in liver detox is sulfation. Sulfar is used to diffuse the toxins, like an overabundance of NSAIDS drugs. If too much is needed to detox the liver, then there isn’t enough to bond with glucosamine to restore joint tissue.
Failure to consistently get the proper amount of sleep: Getting less than or more than 7-8 hours of sleep per night has been shown to increase levels of inflammatory markers in the blood such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). These markers have been linked to chronic diseases like heart problems and hypertension. Poor sleep habits create a risk factor for inflammation. In a study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, it was found that both insomnia and, get this, too much sleep increase low-grade inflammation. The researchers examined serum micronutrient concentrations, particularly copper, in the blood of people who slept too long (more than 10 hours a night). They found that high copper serum concentration was linked to lengthy sleep duration. Out-of-balance serum micronutrient concentrations have been associated with a decline in physical function and health in the elderly population. Using that alarm clock is good after all! Just be sure to go to bed in a timely manner. Be a precision sleeper!
A stressful environment day in and day out…..your job, your spouse, finances, etc….We all know this, right? Chronic stress causes an increase in the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Over-delivering these results in an inflammatory response. Increased cortisol can also decrease insulin sensitivity as well as the ability of glucose absorption into cells. Furthermore, it lessens the ability to make glucosamine. Glucosamine helps with joint tissue health.
Often, we experience firsthand or know of someone with an autoimmune skin condition. When stress levels jump, there can be a derma reaction. Moreover, chronic stress leads to fatigue becoming the norm. Enthusiasm for exercise diminishes as well as other areas of life. For many, meditation instead of medication could be the answer. Studies have shown a variety of mindfulness techniques that have reduced inflammatory markers linked to a stressful environment.
Inflammation that persists for several weeks, months, or even years is considered chronic inflammation. In structural therapy, I meet clients regularly who have chronic inflammation and wonder why complications never completely change for good. During treatment sessions, the client and I work together to determine the root cause of, for instance, chronic knee inflammation. First and foremost, it is vital to treat the root cause(s). What’s above and below the knee? The Hip and Ankle. With improvement in these areas, the pain and inflammation typically subsides and the client returns to normal life activities.
When someone suffers from long lasting injuries that are never completely addressed or are only treated in isolation (not looking at the body as a whole), the body further suffers. An environment is set up for the body to progress into other compensatory conditions. Examples include a permit altered gait, poor posture, or unnecessary inflammation.
What if an athlete over-trains with any of the conditions listed above? Just imagine high intensity sessions utilizing the same muscle groups again and again without enough easy days in between. This primes the body for inflammatory markers. For instance, cyclists use quad muscles in the thighs repeatedly. With inflammation, they would become very sensitive to the touch. I experience this all the time with clients, as they think I pushing very hard into their soft tissue, when I’m actually palpating so softly. Regular ice baths or hydro therapy can help tremendously.
High resting heart rates and poor sleep patterns are also common when overdoing it. It is important to include off days for complete rest and relaxation in order to bring the resting heart rate back to normal range. Not everyone has the same recovery process. If a job involves heavy lifting, squatting, bending, repetitive motion, or any activity that puts regular demand on muscles and joints, that has to be accounted for in tallying up intensity to the body.
In conclusion, inflammation can be present in a variety of forms and areas of the body at once. Be responsible with knowing that and control it with diet, movement, lifestyle and sleep.