This month we have another feature from Dr. Page Crow, DC, owner and operater of Crow Chiropractic & Acupuncture. Page is not only an amazing chiropractor, but is also well versed in holistic approaches to healing the entire human body.

There are many health disorders of the human body. Underlying most of these health challenges is the condition of inflammation. The inflammatory reaction by the body is a healthy response, giving-rise to tissue repair body healing. Yet inflammation can become a harmful condition if allowed to persist in the body and become chronic. Many health problems can be made better if inflammation is recognized and treated.

Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels and molecular mediators. The function of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear-out injured or dead cells and activate tissue repair. The five classical signs of inflammation are heat, pain, redness, swelling and loss of function. Inflammation is a generic response. It is considered a mechanism of innate (automatic) immunity, as compared to adaptive immunity, which is specific for each pathogen. Too little inflammation could lead to progressive tissue destruction by the harmful stimulus and compromise the survival of the organism. In contrast, chronic inflammation is associated with many various diseases, such as hay fever, periodontal disease, atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis.

Inflammation can be classified as either acute or chronic. At the cellular level, acute inflammation is the initial response by the body to harmful stimuli and is achieved by the increased movement of plasma (body fluids) and leukocytes (white blood cells) from the blood vessels into the injured tissues. A series of biochemical events propagates and progresses the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular system, the immune system and various cells within the injured tissue.

At the whole-body level, inflammation may also be associated with flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite and muscle stiffness. Prolonged inflammation, known as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells present at the site of inflammation and is characterized by simultaneous destruction and healing with fibrosis in body tissue from the inflammatory process.

Inflammation can affect many organs & structures in the human body. When these various tissues are affected by inflammation, medical science has distinct diagnostic names for each variation of inflammatory disease. Inflammation in the body has even been shown to affect the brain\mind, causing specific forms of depression. The body affects the mind, an example of a psychoneuroimmunity reaction (mind\nervous\immune). A 5-year research study involving over 14,000 patients with depression noted that patients with depression had upwards of 46% more C-reactive protein in their blood, a marker for inflammation. Efforts to reduce inflammation in the body reduced the incidence of depression.

INFLAMMATION & AGE

A common inflammatory process of babies & children is otitis externa & otitis media. These are forms of both acute & chronic inflammation. Inflammation swells the internal\external tissues of the ear & the eustachain tubes that drain the inner-ear. Blockage & swelling get worse. The body’s internal ear fluids accumulate. If the normal drainage for the ear does not function, the body will burst the tympanic membrane (ear drum), releasing blood & pus onto the pillow. A more common chronic inflammatory degenerative process of adults includes the small & large intestine. Many names are given to gut problems, including irritable bowel disease, colitis, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and others. The common symptoms include indigestion, imbalance in bowel habits (too few\too many), bloody stools, painful gut, inability to eat certain foods, bleeding from the bum and more.

Auto-immune means the body attacks itself. Many organs and tissues can be affected by personal attack: skin, muscles, bones, the nervous system, blood, the gut, thyroid and the brain. Moreover, all tissues, organs and structures can be adversely affected by the body’s immune system attacking its own body. Auto-inflammatory diseases refer to problems within the immune system, which usually fights off viruses, bacteria and infection. The problem causes your immune cells to attack your own body by mistake. This can cause swelling that produces fever, rash, joint swelling or serious buildup of a blood protein in your organs. Possible triggers for autoimmune reactions include pre-existing adverse health. ex’s: diabetes and obesity, fatigue, stress, food intake, hormone imbalance, pesticides, toxins exposure & ingestion, heavy metals poisoning. External adverse environmental influences can cause body damage. Unhealthy psyche levels, including worry, fear & anger, contribute to immune weakness and autoimmune reactivity.

Autoimmune diseases outnumber heart disease & cancer in the U.S. Chronic inflammation is the main consequence of an autoimmune reaction and occurs when the anti-inflammatory system of the body is impaired. It becomes important to reduce the number of things triggering the body into the inflammatory response. It is equally important to practice the many safe\best practices that reduce, eliminate and prevent inflammation. These practices should be made routine throughout a person’s life, not just in time of dis-health.

Western medical practices use pharmaceutical drugs to combat inflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen & naproxen. Steroid-type drugs include prednisone and many steroid-type variations. The anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine is in the news and a common option for medics to use when reducing inflammation.

If water is the #1 anti-inflammatory compound, then chronic dehydration may be one the more common underlying causes for inflammation. Second in effectiveness, juicing fresh greenfoods (algae, alfalfa, dulce, seaweed, kale, celery) yields potent anti-inflammatory nutrition.

Foods that are reported to reduce inflammation include colorful fruits, broccoli, healthy fats, green tea, turmeric, bell peppers, pineapple, leafy green vegetables and dark chocolate.

It has been said, “Stop doing what makes you sick. Start doing things that make you healthy.” The more healthy things you do, the better you get. In humans on a Western diet, the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid (ARA) makes a significant contribution to the fatty acids present in the membrane phospholipids of cells involved in inflammation. We are what we eat. Fried foods contain large amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. When a person reduces intake of fried foods, chronic inflammation reduces in the body.

Cannabis is emerging from decades of illegality in our world. Research is ongoing involving the use of cannabis for anti-inflammation use. Cannabis contains over 450 different substances, only three of which are responsible for its intoxicating effect. Cannabis activates the endocannabinoid systems, specifically two receptors in the body, CB1 and CB2. While the CB1 receptor in the central nervous system influences perception, the CB2 receptor in all tissues plays a crucial role in inhibiting inflammation. If the receptor is activated, the cell releases fewer pro-inflammatory signal substances, or cytokines. Scientists have now discovered that the substance, beta-carophyllene, which composes between 12 and 35 percent of the cannabis plant’s essential oil, activates the CB2 receptor selectively. note: This blog on inflammation is meant for information purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat disease. If you are experiencing symptoms of inflammation, you should communicate this with your healthcare provider.