Chronic Inflammation

More and more, medical research has recognized the condition of chronic inflammation as a driver of premature aging as well as the development of serious life threatening diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis among many others. 

Normally, inflammation is a healthy immune response when the body is attacked by an invading pathogen, like a virus or bacteria, or when we are injured. The body reacts to the infection or injury by sending white blood cells to the damaged area to destroy invaders, remove damaged cells, and heal the tissues. We notice this acute inflammatory process by the swelling, redness, heat, and pain we feel when we get a cut or twist an ankle. This inflammatory response quickly resolves as the body heals and returns to its normal state of balance.

However, there are times when the body’s immune response continues to send out inflammatory white blood cells on the attack, even when there is no infection or injury. Instead of healing the tissues, this chronic inflammatory state begins to damage otherwise healthy cells, tissues, and organs, which can lead to many serious illnesses. A growing body of evidence shows that this state of chronic systemic inflammation contributes to many of the nation’s leading killers, as well as more common chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, IBS, depression and anxiety.

Below is a short list of the most common chronic systemic inflammation ailments that we have experience in treating, but our practitioners are well versed in benefiting a wide range of chronic inflammatory conditions.

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Chronic Inflammation FAQ

  • Stress and Lifestyle Factors
    We now know that many of our most unhealthy lifestyle choices—poor diet, too much alcohol, smoking, too little sleep, sedentary behavior, being overweight, and stress—are the most common causes of chronic systemic inflammation. The good news is that we have the power to change these unhealthy behaviors to positively change chronic inflammation before it leads to a serious illness.

    Post-Infection (Long Covid, Chronic Lyme Disease)
    Sometimes, after a serious infection, the body’s immune system remains active, long after the virus or bacteria have been eliminated. As more research emerges, it appears that many of the symptoms of long covid—brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, racing heart rate—are linked to chronic inflammation and tissue damage in the brain, lungs, and heart. The same seems to be true for those who are suffering from chronic Lyme disease as well—the body continues to mount an immune attack against healthy tissues long after the bacterial has been eliminated causing the familiar fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain.

    Autoimmune Disease
    Most autoimmune diseases, such at type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis trigger the bodies immune system to attack healthy tissue.

  • The most common signs of chronic inflammation are:

    • Chronic body pain—joint stiffness, tendonitis, and muscle pain
    • Insomnia, not feeling rested upon waking
    • Persistent fatigue not associated with physical activity
    • Weight gain
    • Skin rashes like psoriasis or eczema
    • Abdominal pain, chronic loose stools or constipation
    • Acid reflux
    • Chronic, low grade fever
    • Depression and anxiety

  • The role of stress as a causative factor in many of the today’s most prevalent and difficult to treat diseases—heart disease and stroke, diabetes, cancer—is demonstrated by countless scientific studies. To understand how chronic stress can lead to chronic inflammation, it is necessary to understand cortisol, the so-call stress hormone. Cortisol is produced in our adrenal glands and has a role in a wide range of functions throughout the body, including:

    • Regulating the body’s stress response
    • Controlling metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
    • Regulating inflammation
    • Regulating blood pressure
    • Regulating blood sugar
    • Controlling sleep-wake cycle
    • Memory and thought processing

    Normally, the body releases cortisol into the bloodstream during times of acute stress to help us manage the “fight or flight” mechanism. In times of danger, cortisol releases stored sugar from the liver to provide instant energy, suppresses insulin to keep blood sugar high, increases heart rate and blood pressure to get blood to our muscles fast, causes us to become alert and vigilant, suppressing sleep, and suppresses the immune, digestive, and reproductive systems to conserve energy. Once the danger passes, cortisol levels go down and the body returns to a healthy state.

    However, when we experience high levels of stress on a near-daily basis, our cortisol levels can become elevate for prolonged periods of time, with seriously damaging effects, including:

    • Chronic systemic inflammation
    • Elevated blood sugar
    • Insulin resistance
    • Weight gain
    • High blood pressure
    • Heart palpitations
    • Insomnia
    • Mood disorders

    According to the Mayo Clinic, chronically high levels of cortisol disrupt almost all of the body’s processes and increases risks for:

    • Heart disease, heart attack, and stroke
    • Diabetes
    • High blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Depression and anxiety
    • Infertility, menstrual issues
    • Erectile dysfunction
    • Headaches
    • Digestive problems
    • Insomnia and sleep problems
    • Weight gain and obesity
    • Memory and concentration impairment
    • Muscle pain and tension

  • Most people who of have experienced acupuncture will describe it as having a calming and balancing effect, reducing feelings of stress, improving mood, digestion, and sleep. Studies examining the benefit of acupuncture to treat major depression have demonstrated that a six week course of treatment reduced cortisol levels by over 50% along with a major reduction in the symptoms of depression. For patients with irritable bowel syndrome, a Korean review, showed that acupuncture had a noticeable effect to reduce cortisol levels and improve symptoms. Not only does acupuncture show an effect in reducing elevated levels of cortisol due to prolonged stress, it seems to have an positive benefit in keeping levels low in response to future stress. In a study performed at Georgetown University, it was shown that animals treated with acupuncture before a cold water shower had significantly smaller spikes in cortisol levels compared to those that were not treated.

    Separate from stress-induced chronic inflammation, acupuncture also has shown strong effects on regulating the inflammatory response through effects on the central nervous system. A comprehensive review of studies completed in 2021 demonstrated that acupuncture exerted strong anti-inflammatory effect in multiple systems including the immune, digestive, respiratory, nervous, circulatory, endocrine, and urogenital systems. It had been established in previous studies that acupuncture produced anti-inflammatory effects through the regulation of local white blood cells by inhibiting critical intracellular signaling pathways. Most recently, it has been also shown that acupuncture has an effect on the central nervous system by stimulating sensory nerves located at the acupoints. By affecting the deep, hormonal regulatory centers in the brain, acupuncture alters the release of neurotransmitters and hormones which have an ultimate downstream effect to regulate the inflammatory response throughout the body.

  • Numerous studies have demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicine can safely suppress pro-inflammatory pathways and control diseases associated with chronic inflammation. A 2011 review discussed how herbal medicine has a safe and positive effect on inflammation in many of the bodies most crucial organ systems.