What do I mean by itis? Lets start with one of the most common and recognizable itis's. The name arthritis means joint inflammation, “arth”, is the Greek word for “joint” and “itis”, means “inflammation”.
Their are many other inflammatory disorders, such as tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendon (quite apt due to my injury). Carditis, inflammation of the heart, and many many more...some of which you may suffer from. When you have inflammation it can be due to many factors but overuse is a big factor in many cases especially tendon and joint problems (and it was in mine).
The biggest factor that I see, and one that has the biggest impact of those I've worked with that suffer from inflammatory disorders is DIEt and lifestyle.
I used to suffer pretty badly with Osteoarthritis (OA) after I was hit by a drunk guy in a car back in 1992. The damage is still there from the impact but I no longer suffer (unless I crash and land on it), due to altering my diet to reduce inflammation. My knee was the initial reason that I began studying to become a personal trainer and nutritionist. During my training they attempted to teach me excessive exercise, starvation and glycemic index (otherwise known as avoiding sugars and loading up in complex carbs), which I quickly realised was absolutely awful. I quickly realised that it was not only awful, it was actually worsening the situation and the stress reaction (cortisol release) was actually probably worse than the mainstream drug treatment protocol. At least with the pharmaceutical treatment we could set up a protocol the minimise the damage, where as low calorie was a damage on a daily basis.
I do a lot of research into cortisol, a stress hormone which is similar to the cortisone shot given to patients with inflammatory conditions. Cortisol is our natural inflammatory, so its interesting to note that those with receiving standard medical care often share strikingly similar symptoms with someone with high cortisol levels caused by inefficient metabolism (caused by dieting etc).
Symptoms of Inflammation
Effects of Cortisol
Neither list is great, but through diet and lifestyle changes, plus maybe some meds to reduce the stress response we could begin to undo the damage and restore health.
Their are many other inflammatory disorders, such as tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendon (quite apt due to my injury). Carditis, inflammation of the heart, and many many more...some of which you may suffer from. When you have inflammation it can be due to many factors but overuse is a big factor in many cases especially tendon and joint problems (and it was in mine).
The biggest factor that I see, and one that has the biggest impact of those I've worked with that suffer from inflammatory disorders is DIEt and lifestyle.
I used to suffer pretty badly with Osteoarthritis (OA) after I was hit by a drunk guy in a car back in 1992. The damage is still there from the impact but I no longer suffer (unless I crash and land on it), due to altering my diet to reduce inflammation. My knee was the initial reason that I began studying to become a personal trainer and nutritionist. During my training they attempted to teach me excessive exercise, starvation and glycemic index (otherwise known as avoiding sugars and loading up in complex carbs), which I quickly realised was absolutely awful. I quickly realised that it was not only awful, it was actually worsening the situation and the stress reaction (cortisol release) was actually probably worse than the mainstream drug treatment protocol. At least with the pharmaceutical treatment we could set up a protocol the minimise the damage, where as low calorie was a damage on a daily basis.
I do a lot of research into cortisol, a stress hormone which is similar to the cortisone shot given to patients with inflammatory conditions. Cortisol is our natural inflammatory, so its interesting to note that those with receiving standard medical care often share strikingly similar symptoms with someone with high cortisol levels caused by inefficient metabolism (caused by dieting etc).
Symptoms of Inflammation
- Acne, dry skin, or thinning skin
- Bruising or discoloration of skin
- Insomnia
- Mood changes
- Increased sweating
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea, stomach pain, or bloating
- Slow wound healing
- Changes in the shape or location of body fat
Effects of Cortisol
- Weight gain and fatty tissue deposits, particularly around the midsection and upper back
- Pink or purple stretch marks (striae) on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, breasts and arms
- Thinning, fragile skin that bruises easily
- Slow healing of cuts, insect bites and infections
- Acne
- Severe fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Depression, anxiety and irritability
- Loss of emotional control
- Cognitive difficulties
- New or worsened high blood pressure
- Headache
- Bone loss, leading to fractures over time
- Thicker or more visible body and facial hair (hirsutism)
- Irregular or absent menstrual periods
- Decreased libido
- Decreased fertility
- Erectile dysfunction
Neither list is great, but through diet and lifestyle changes, plus maybe some meds to reduce the stress response we could begin to undo the damage and restore health.
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