A s I explain to my patients. "Everything bad that happens in our bodies is a result of part of the inflammatory process. If you reduce acute and chronic inflammation, you decrease the negative impact to your body." What is acute inflammation? Simply put. tissue injury or infection triggers an acute inflammatory response. The clinical characteristics of the first phase of acute inflammation are pain, redness, heat, swelling, and. at times, loss of function or mobility of the involved tissues. This inflammatory response typically lasts for hours to a few days. The pain associated with acute inflammation typically is caused by tissue swelling that compresses nerves and chemical substances produced by the inflammatory cascade that signal a pain response from the brain. Inflammation also heals the body in the second phase where it helps repair and regenerate damaged tissue. How can we reduce acute inflammation? The old advice of RICE (rest. ice. compression, and elevation) is extremely effective and always should be implemented when practical as the initial defense. Another means of managing acute inflammation is with the use of herbs, such as bosw ellia. bromclain. black currant oil. borage oil. evening primrose oil. ginger, rcsvcratrol. rosemary, tulsi. and turmeric. Topical analgesics arc widely used to treat the pain of acute inflammation as well. Fatty acids, both essential and csterificd. also have been shown to reduce inflammation. I have found the use of 1-tetradecanol complex (1-TDC). an estcrificd fatty acid complex, to be invaluable in my practice. This compound has been clinically proven to reduce pain and lias a unique property of working both orally and as a potent topical analgesic. Researchers at the University of Minnesota documented 1-TDC oils as having an astounding absorption rate of over 95% when applied topically. Relief from the topical application typically happens within minutes, which makes it a perfect fit for fast relief of acute pain. It works equally well when taken orally, although the positive effects take longer (generally thirty days or less). The oral administration is a great means of managing chronic pain and inflammation. This is a great point to shift our focus to the second part of this article: chronic inflammation. What is chronic inflammation? Chronic inflammation is an unhealthy excessive inflammatory response that can persist for years. What causes chronic inflammation? Cellular stress and dysfunction or an ovcrrcactivc immune system can trigger chronic inflammation. It is abnormal, docs not benefit the body, and is involved in a number of disease states. All of the following can increase your risk of chronic inflammation: obesity, inflammatory diet, existing heart conditions, poorly managed diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, chronic infections, pcriodontal disease, and. most importantly, stress. Chronic inflammation is linked to asthma, allergies, autoimmune disease, heart disease, and cancer. It is linked to most other diseases as well, depending on which organs the inflammation impacts. How do you test for chronic inflammation? Common inflammatory markers that you can test for are: Elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) Scd rate High levels of homocystcinc Elevated fcrritin in the blood Elevated HDL Elevated monocytcs can be a secondary indicator of inflammation Elevated blood glucose is a leading indicator of inflam mation Cellular malfunction and stress trigger chronic inflammatioa which, rather than bciicfitting health, contributes to disease and age-related deterioration via numerous mechanisms. So how can you decrease chronic inflammation? Dietary components that can decrease chronic inflammation include omcga-3 fatty acids, low cholesterol diet, low glycemic index foods, high dietary fiber, and the use of the herbs and supplements mentioned earlier in this article regarding acute inflammation, especially esterified fatty acids such as 1-TDC. Dietary factors that can increase chronic inflammation include a diet high in trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, excessive alcohol intake, sugar and grains, and high glycemic index foods. Lifestyle changes that can help reduce chronic inflammation include regular exercise, smoking cessation, and stress reduction. Some fantastic tools for dealing with stress include meditation, deep breathing, yoga, regular exercise, massage therapy, auto relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, biofcedback. guided imagery, hypnosis, aromatherapy, and music. Stress reduction is an ongoing process. We live in a world of physical, chemical, and emotional strcssors. Reduction of the effects of these internal and external strcssors will increase both the quality and quantity of our patients" lives. Regardless of the type of inflammation, acute or chronic, it is imperative to reduce the inflammatory response within the body. I hope that after reading this article you have a greater understanding of what causes acute and chronic inflammation and what decreases acute and chronic inflammation. Please assist your patients, friends, and family to improve their overall heath by reducing both their acute and chronic inflaniniaton responses to avoidable stimuli. We arc fortunate to be able to improve our patients" lives through pin sical treatment and lifestyle counseling. Dr. Patrick J. Kelly received his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic West. He has been in private practice for 17 years, educating his patients about healthier lifestyles through diet, exer- cise, and chiropractic care. Dr. Kelly s passion for the Chiropractic Profession can be seen through his tireless efforts working with stale and national associations for years to improve the quality of and access to chiropractic care. Dr. Kelly is a past President of the Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association (PCA) and has held numerous other leadership positions in the PCA. He was named Chiropractor of the Year by the PCA in 2008. Along with private practice. Dr. Kelly is also the ChiefMedical Officer of Elite Science.
