Herniated Disc Causes and Cures
By Steve Hefferon, CMT, PTA
When I say the word "inflammation," it's likely to evoke thoughts of painful joints and muscles, swelling, and a loss of mobility. But did you know that recent research shows that chronic inflammation in your body can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few?
The amount of inflammation in your body varies and depends on several factors, such as:
What you have to realize is these factors are cumulative. That is, their effects build up over time. And the more that any or all of these factors get out of whack, the more the risk of disease increases.
Early on, these levels can be so low that you might not even be aware that you have any inflammation in your body. That's because our bodies do a fairly decent job of controlling the inflammation (at least for a while).
Then one day you
wake up and you're in your 40s and something is just not right. That's
when the fear begins to set in, and you think to yourself: What did I do
wrong? or What can
The first step is to get your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels tested. C-reactive protein is produced by the liver, and the level of CRP rises when there is systemic inflammation in the body. Ask your doctor about this (you may have to demand to have the test done). All it requires is a blood sample that will be evaluated by your doctor.
And because diet can
play a large role in how much or how little inflammation you have, you
may want these levels looked at by a registered dietician who can help
you formulate an appropriate eating plan.
What You Eat Makes All The Difference
The food we eat is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to controlling inflammation. The typical American diet consists of too much fat, tons of sugar, loads of red meat, and a frightening amount of processed foods--all of which are likely to increase inflammation and contribute to obesity, which itself is can cause inflammation.
By switching to an
anti-inflammatory diet plan consisting of healthy whole foods, you can
actually decrease inflammation and ease the pain and discomfort
associated with it.
But choose carefully.
and pre-packaged "health" foods can actually work against you. Use
this handy list of the best and worst foods for controlling
In addition to making these dietary changes, you should:
Article by Steve Hefferon, a certified personal fitness trainer and post-rehab specialist who has helped hundreds of individuals to lead a less painful life. Steve is also the co-founder of Lose the Back Pain
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