Reducing Inflammation for Injury & Pain Prevention
Best Way To Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is our body’s way of responding to injuries, illnesses, and infections. Inflammation is a normal response at first, but it is considered chronic inflammation when it persists for longer than it takes an injury to heal. Chronic inflammation can cause many problems, including joint pain, stiffness, and injuries. Chronic inflammation can occur within joints themselves or be present in the rest of the body as well. Systemic inflammation in the body is often due to comorbidities like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and diet, some of which are listed below.
Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Research shows there are great foods that naturally combat inflammation and foods that cause excess inflammation. Foods that fight inflammation due to antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids include green vegetables, nuts, seeds, berries, and fatty fish. On the other hand, foods that cause more inflammation include processed snacks, food or drinks high in sugar, and alcohol.
Stress Management. Short-term stress aims to motivate us and keep us out of danger. However, chronic stress dramatically increases inflammation as stress hormones like cortisol flood our bodies. We should all practice a stress management routine, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, exercise, or yoga. Managing stress will also help reduce chronic pain, as they are very closely related.
High-Quality Sleep. We’ve all heard that sleep is crucial to our health. It is our body’s time to repair from the previous day and recharge for the next. Inflammation decreases in this repair process, especially if we aim to get seven to nine hours of restful sleep. To help with this, you should try to have a consistent bedtime routine that involves reducing bright light and screen time, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, and avoiding alcohol a few hours before bed.
Regular Exercise. Regular aerobic and strength training exercise helps to stimulate muscle and joint repair, increase strength, prevent injury, and help to improve circulation.
Common Symptoms Of Inflammation
Inflammation can occur after an injury or an infection. Common symptoms of inflammation in a specific joint or body area are listed below.
Swelling. Inflammation causes excess fluid to build up as a part of the injury or infection response. This will cause swelling or a feeling of fullness in the joint.
Pain. Inflammation can cause pain as an injury or infection is healing. It may be mild or severe, depending on the injury.
Loss of Use. You may have restricted use of your injured body part due to stiffness and pain as your body works to heal the area.
Fever. If you develop a fever and have redness, warmth, and pain in a specific body part, you should get to an emergency room or urgent care as soon as possible. These symptoms together are clear signs of an infection that could spread to the rest of your body!
How Physical Therapy Can Help With Injury & Pain Prevention
Physical therapy is among the best options for how to treat inflammation and prevent injuries. Physical therapists take a hands-on approach to create a plan to solve your injury and its original cause. Also, you don’t have to be injured to go to physical therapy. A physical therapist can evaluate your current movement patterns and design a program to prevent injuries by correcting muscle and joint issues. They will educate you on movements to reduce injury risk and exercises and strategies to become strong and resistant to injury. Anyone who spends multiple days per week doing repetitive motions, whether for work or hobbies, is at risk of injury and muscle imbalance. PTs will identify these patterns and implement exercises and safe movement patterns to reduce injury risk.
If you’re injured, your PT will develop a plan to reduce pain and inflammation, build strength, and improve stability. These efforts will also prevent injuries in the currently injured body part and surrounding areas. Whether you want to see a physical therapist or just have a question, you can find a list of our physical therapy locations here.
