Inflammation Part Three: How Autoimmune and Chronic Disease Conditions Play a Role in the Inflammatory Process
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Our two-part series on inflammation prompted a really good question from one of our subscribers:
“How do autoimmune and other inflammatory conditions play into the inflammatory cycle?”
People with autoimmune disorders and chronic diseases like diabetes, arthritis, lupus, and celiac are in a varying but constant state of inflammation. Medication and lifestyle changes such as exercise, adequate sleep, good nutrition, and stress reduction can help regulate inflammation. Unfortunately, there is no cure for these diseases and no way to eliminate the inflammation associated with them.
Injury, illness or stress, such as training for a marathon, can exponentially affect a person with chronic disease. It is like adding gasoline to a fire. Just as a bigger fire takes longer to control, chronically-inflamed patients typically require longer recovery and treatment times.
Physical therapy measures such as NDN, ART, and AFS can help calm inflammation associated with disease brought on by added stressors. Unfortunately, while PT can help, it cannot extinguish inflammation or cure disease.
While we can’t eradicate the disease or completely break the inflammatory cycle, we can decrease the pain and dysfunction it creates. We can take a raging fire down to controlled burning embers.
Many of my patients and coaching clients with autoimmune disorders do amazing things like run businesses, raise families, and train for marathons. If you are struggling with autoimmune disease, let's get that inflammation under control.
To read more about inflammation, check out our two-part series:
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