https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkRDRwmue74
I want to talk about a topic that has completely changed the way I think about physical therapy. First off, if you haven’t seen any of the videos/vlogs, we’re doing a Movement Series here at Mitchell Holistic Health . Up to this point, if you’ve watched the videos, you’ve seen me give tips on different exercises, various types of movements, and principles of movement (we sent these videos out through our VIP email list- sign up today for FREE by clicking HERE). But today, I really want to talk about the role of inflammation in our body.
Why Is Inflammation so Important?
Inflammation is so important that, although it’s not a movement, I feel like I have to include it in the series because it has really been the key to unlocking some of those difficult cases that just don’t seem to be getting better. In this blog, I want to talk about three things:
1. What are the signs you have a lot of inflammation?
2. Why do you have inflammation, and what’s causing it?
3. What can you do about it? How can you lower your inflammation?
Signs of Increased Inflammation
Let’s start with the first one. What are the symptoms that might indicate you have inflammation? Honestly, understanding inflammation and its symptoms can be difficult, because these are often the people who easily get injured. They might be constantly playing whack-a-mole with different pains—elbow pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, ankle pain—and they just can’t seem to fully recover. Or maybe some form of “itis” keeps popping up.
One of the things I hear most often when someone comes in for physical therapy is that there’s definitely inflammation involved. So, if you’re someone who doesn’t heal quickly or you’re constantly dealing with nagging injuries, I really want you to pay attention, because what we’re about to talk about could significantly change the trajectory of your overall health, how quickly you recover, and how you deal with ongoing injuries or illnesses.
Why You Have Inflammation
Now, let’s dive into why you have inflammation. There are multiple reasons, of course, but I want to focus on the “leaky gut” theory. In fact, I probably shouldn’t even call it a theory, because it’s been well-established in science. There are thousands of research articles discussing leaky gut.
Simply put, leaky gut happens when the junctions in the lining of your gut become loose, allowing things that should never enter your bloodstream to pass through. Normally, your gut should selectively allow beneficial nutrients from food to enter while blocking harmful substances. But when you eat certain foods, are exposed to toxins, or experience high levels of stress, these junctions in the gut wall can open up. This leads to substances—like food particles, toxins, or medications—that shouldn’t be in your bloodstream entering it anyway.
When these substances make their way into your bloodstream, your immune system reacts as if they’re invaders and mounts an immune response. This response triggers inflammation, which is your body’s way of trying to deal with the perceived threat. The problem is, when this happens over and over again—day after day, month after month, year after year—it leads to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can contribute to nearly every illness we face today, including autoimmune diseases, which are rampant right now.
What You Can Do about Inflammation
So, what do we do about it? The key is to close those junctions in the gut, fortify the gut lining, and repopulate the good gut bacteria. We also need to reduce the things in our body that shouldn’t be there. One of the most effective ways to do that is through detoxification.
There are two main things I want to talk about to help lower inflammation: detoxification and diet.
Lowering Inflammation through Detoxification
First, detoxification. Sweating, saunas, and liver flushes can all be effective ways to support liver health. Often, we have a sluggish liver, and it’s unable to filter out all the toxins we’re exposed to. This backup leads to widespread inflammation throughout the body. Supporting your liver’s ability to detox can help resolve this.
Lowering Inflammation through Diet
Second, diet. This is something we focus heavily on here at Mitchell Holistic Health because we’ve seen firsthand how food can dramatically impact health. We see every day how eating whole foods and thinking of food as medicine can change your inflammation levels and overall well-being.
There are a few foods that most people struggle with, and these include gluten, dairy, and soy. Of course, sugar is another major issue. Some people may also have specific food triggers, but I would recommend starting with the big three (or four, if you include sugar) and going from there.
When we eat foods like gluten, dairy, and soy, they can open up the junctions in the gut, leading to that cycle of inflammation I mentioned earlier. To break the cycle, we need to stop putting foods into our body that trigger an immune response. That’s why an elimination diet, focusing on whole foods and avoiding these common culprits, can help heal the gut and reduce inflammation. Click HERE for more info on decreasing inflammation through nutrition.
If you’ve been trying to exercise your way out of chronic pain or illness without seeing success, I highly suggest looking at your diet. Even if you only try an elimination diet for a month or two, you may be surprised at how much your aches and pains improve. Removing those inflammatory foods can make a huge difference.
Honestly, if you focus on dealing with inflammation—through diet and lifestyle—you might see a big improvement in how your body feels and heals. If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of pain, illness, or injury, this could be the key to finally breaking free from it.
This is the final video in our Fall Movement Series. I’ve really enjoyed sharing different principles of movement with you. I hope I’ve provided some valuable exercises and insights that you can apply in your own life. Most importantly, I hope you’ve gained a few tips in this video that you can use to start addressing inflammation and take the next step toward healing.
We Want to Help You Lower Your Inflammation!
If you need more one-on-one support or if you’ve tried some of these strategies, but still haven’t found the root cause of your issues, we’re here to help. At Mitchell Holistic Health, our physical therapists and functional medicine practitioners dig a little deeper and focus on finding the root cause. If you are in the LaCrosse, Wisconsin area (or if you’re up for virtual appointments) click HERE ! —we’d love to connect with you.
Click HERE to see the previous post on Building a Strong Foundation for Optimal Movement I Master Your Movement- Part 7 of 8. Watch the ongoing series on YouTube and subscribe to our VIP email list for the latest video updates and more!