Inflammation is such a complicated process that I will probably spend more than one session on this subject. Briefly, and in layman’s terms, any time any part of your body is compromised or injured, your body will send out distress signals for help. From something simple like a minor cut on your finger from slicing vegetables to a minor burn. For the minor cut, you should wash the area with warm soapy water, rinse it off and dry it and apply a bandaid. For the minor burn you should apply cool to cold water (not milk). Obviously, more severe injuries require other measures. But be sure to treat any injury with care to prevent an infection and seek medical help if warranted. But your body has miraculous healing powers. The problem is that try as it may, your body cannot heal everything. For instance, if you have osteoarthritis that does all kinds of damage to your joints, you could end up with all kinds of joint pain. Inflammation has set in. This particular blog is to tell you all how to help your body fight that inflammation and resulting pain. There are thousands of ads trying to sell you something to counter (and heal?!) that pain. I am not going to do that. I do want to tell you what has helped me. I have rather severe osteoarthritis that has damaged a lot of joints in my body. The resulting pain has necessitated four different surgeries. Three to my spine (one at the back of my neck many years ago, and two to my low back recently) and one really major and beyond painful to my right wrist. The CMC surgery (carpometacarpal) to my right wrist took me over a year to recuperate. Recently, I have been told that I needed my left wrist done (just shoot me) and another low back surgery (ouch). The pain was so bad in both areas that I was considering the surgeries. At least to my low back. So I began reading everything I could on anti-inflammatory drugs and diets. I cannot take NSAIDs (long and boring story) as they would definitely help. To anyone out there that can take them (under your doctor’s care), I strongly advise them and good luck. But there are many people out there that either cannot take them or do not wish to take them long term, this blog is especially for you. I have personally had amazing results from my change of diet and over the counter meds. The anti-inflammatory diet is not particularly fun but well worth it. The number one worst thing you can eat is “sugar.” Since that is my number one favorite food, that was truly difficult for me. Some of the other things I have had to cut out are fried foods, red meat, processed foods, white bread and white rice, and white pastas. Another benefit of this diet is that this diet will help you lose weight! I can’t argue with that!
As far as some other measures I take are: glucosamine chondroitin and turmeric curcumin. I also drink more water each day than ever before. I tend to believe that if I had always consumed eight glasses of water a day that I wouldn’t be in the shape I am now. So, parents out there, start your children out young drinking more water. I also sprinkle cinnamon and ginger on my oatmeal each day. Another thing I try to do as I have read it is another way to help ease arthritic pain is to get some kind of exercise each day that is appropriate for your age and problems. For me at my age it is walking. This definitely helps me have less pain and sleep better.
As for my G.I. issues with inflammation and pain, I have pretty much completely resolved my GERD, IBS, and Diverticulitis problems with some minor diet changes for my GERD (less acidic foods or drinks, no caffeine and no NSAIDs), and VSL#3 for my IBS and Diverticulitis. I swear by VSL#3 which is a Probiotic Medical Food. I do not tolerate one packet a day and just take about one-fourth of a packet each day. It is expensive but taking less than a packet a day helps. This is considered a medical food and you are advised to use it only under medical supervision. So talk to your G. I. Doctor about this.
This concludes my blog on Inflammation but as I said earlier, I may address this again. I would love to hear comments from my readers on this subject. Thanks for reading.
