The human body is a complex machine that sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. Take, for example, its response to inflammatory disorders.
When you suffer an injury or your body comes in contact with a virus, bacteria, or a toxic chemical, your immune system is automatically activated, serving as a first responder to the problem. It sends out inflammatory cells that trap the offending agents or start healing injured tissue.
In some cases, your body can attack its own cells and tissues, causing chronic or episodic inflammation in the body, characterized by swelling, redness, and pain. There are a few conditions that cause such an issue, and they are referred to as chronic inflammatory disorders. A few examples are:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout
- Lupus
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
Aside from causing pain and other symptoms, an inflammatory disorder can also weaken your immune system and leave your body vulnerable to other diseases. The good news is that you can reduce inflammation in your body, alleviate your symptoms, and restore your body’s ability to defend itself against disease with natural, holistic management.
A Holistic Approach to Managing Inflammatory Disorders
Rather than just focusing on the symptoms of an illness, holistic medicine treats the whole person, taking into account mental, social, and physical factors.
When it comes to treating inflammatory disorders, changing your diet and lifestyle has been shown to significantly improve symptoms. For example, some foods – such as refined carbohydrates, soda, French fries, sweets, and red meat – are known to trigger inflammation. Therefore, abstaining from such foods and, instead, incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can serve as an excellent preventive method for inflammatory disorder flare-ups. Antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables (e.g., berries, broccoli, kale, spinach, and tomatoes), as well as Omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods (e.g., wild salmon and nuts), all have beneficial anti-inflammatory compounds – as do turmeric and ginger.
Along with dietary changes, certain lifestyle adjustments help to quell the symptoms of inflammatory disorders. Unhealthy habits, such as lack of sleep, being sedentary, smoking, and drinking, all contribute to inflammation in the body. Countermeasures such as exercise, stress management, getting ample restful sleep, and refraining from smoking and drinking can help provide relief. For example:
- Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight which, in turn, can help reduce inflammation.
- Stress management can help prevent the adverse effects anxiety has on the body.
- Restful sleep not only helps you manage your stress levels but also helps prevent tissue-damaging inflammation.
- Both cigarettes and alcoholic drinks contain toxins that promote inflammation. Simply quitting smoking and reducing your alcohol consumption can help detoxify your body.
While these holistic management measures may seem simple enough, they require the guidance of a medical professional with extensive training in integrative and functional medicine to be truly effective. If you are dealing with an inflammatory disorder, you owe it to yourself to explore customized treatment options for your specific needs with Dr. Catherine Oseni at Alpha Care Wellness Center in Weatherford, Texas.
Management for Inflammatory Disorders Near You in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area
Dr. Oseni is board-certified and fellowship-trained in integrative and functional medicine and is uniquely qualified to create a treatment plan that addresses the underlying cause of your chronic inflammation. Dr. Oseni’s treatments are holistic and natural, combining nutraceuticals, botanicals, homeopathy, and nutrition and lifestyle changes that can be modified to help you achieve your desired outcome.
For more information on our holistic management of inflammatory disorders or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Oseni, call Alpha Care Wellness Center today at (817) 550-6332 or simply complete our online appointment request form. We look forward to helping you reach your health and wellness goals.