What is inflammation? Inflammation is a response by our body’s immune system to injury (or illness) which stimulates healing by releasing white blood cells to the injury. This is beneficial when fighting an infection or injury to help the area rest and heal.
There are 5 signs of inflammation: Swelling, Redness, Pain, Heat, and Loss of Function.
- Acute inflammation has a quick onset from damage or irritation, like a strain or sprain.
- Chronic inflammation has a slow onset and lasts several weeks, months or years. Sometimes, inflammation wears out its welcome and lasts longer than it should and causes damage. Sometimes inflammation has a trigger, such as stress, toxin exposure and/or autoimmune disorders.
Inflammation is damaging to soft tissues and joints in the affected area when chronic. The inflammation response’s release of cytokines and histamines directly affects the permeability of vessels causing leakage of fluids into the tissue causing edema and swelling.
Inflammation also limits the range of motion of a joint or muscle. Chronic inflammation can lead to numerous health problems from crippling arthritis to chronic pain.
Massage Therapy is one great way to help reduce chronic pain and inflammation. Through a series of massage modalities massage will help with drainage of fluids from soft tissue while improving circulation. Massage therapy not only increases blood circulation, but improves range of motion in joints, which inflammation may severely impact. Massage therapy lowers the stress hormone cortisol which can produce an inflammatory response while increasing serotonin, the feel-good hormone.
CBD also helps relieve chronic pain and inflammation. CBD works by reducing levels of cytokines and reduces migration of immune cells, which create inflammation. CBD also has analgesic properties reducing pain. CBD and massage therapy work complementary to each other as a team in reducing pain and inflammation significantly.
Massage Therapy and CBD are holistic ways to help reduce inflammation. Help increase your quality of life with a holistic approach!
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