Let's talk about inflammation

There are many conditions and symptoms that benefit from massage, but the common denominator of most pathologies, regardless of diagnosis is twofold, an inflammatory response and muscle defending. Both responses cause pain. Your muscles can hurt just from being inflamed, meaning the pain, can come from inflammation in the cells or organs as well as from muscle strain or sprains. So, your low back or neck pain could be originating from organ or gland distress. To heal, inflammation need to be reduced in the cells and its cause determined and controlled and secondly, that adhesion, strains and sprains or other restrictions in muscles and connective tissue are reduced so the skeleton can move freely.

In bodywork sessions you first work to get the tissue to the state where it is not inflamed and can flex and extend through its full range, then maintaining the progress with self-care techniques using nutrition, exercise and bodywork.

For optimum performance, in addition to bodywork, your soft tissue must have proper nutritional support and have inflammation controlled externally. Many professionals recommend using probiotics, fish oil, homeopathic or natural anti-inflammatory remedies and having adequate vitamin intake plus the proper protein consumption to control the effects of inflammation which is the precursor to all diseases.  I encourage patients to become informed about how bodies respond to trauma, injury, certain foods and environmental irritants with an inflammatory reaction and to actively treat any inflammatory response regardless of its origin with a qualified health care provider.

Inflammation is part of the complex response of liquid tissues, blood and lymph, to harmful stimuli; viruses, bacteria, damage to tissue, environmental or food irritants, etc. and a defensive attempt by the organism to remove the problem and to initiate the healing process. Inflammation is not a synonym for infection, even in cases where inflammation is caused by infection. If inflammation is not controlled, its byproducts perpetuate the inflammatory condition.

Without inflammation, wounds and infections would never heal yet the flip side is just as bad as long term inflammation can lead to a host of diseases, chronic conditions and pain. It is vitally important that inflammation be closely regulated in the body.

There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is the initial response in the body. The inflammatory response is quick and involves the local vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue. If acute inflammation goes on long enough without treatment, a state of chronic, or prolonged, inflammation, occurs. This process, marked by symptoms that are varied and hard to pinpoint, can last for days, months or even years. Chronic inflammation is almost always accompanied by tissue destruction because the affected tissue can no longer regenerate. This must be actively addressed before long-term damage occurs. And guess what? Massage and bodywork can work on all types of symptoms.