Inflammation and the Impact on Health

Inflammation is a necessary evil in many instances and comes in two distinct forms: acute and chronic.  Acute inflammation is characterized by 5 cardinal signs including pain, heat, swelling, redness and loss of function.  This type of inflammation is often seen when you stub your toe or a local area of infection arises due to multiple causes.  Acute inflammation is needed to rid the affected area of bacteria as well as increase blood circulation to clear damaged tissue and supply nutrients for repair. This process is temporary by nature and resolves once the condition is resolved.        

It is not this acute inflammation that is the concern, but more so chronic inflammation.  Acute inflammation can turn into chronic inflammation given the right circumstances.  Chronic inflammation is a process by which the inflammatory condition continues, releasing increased levels of inflammatory proteins (cytokines) into the blood stream, recruiting more inflammatory cells and causing tissue damage and cellular alteration.  Many things contribute to chronic inflammation and we are all undergoing this process to a certain degree.  Other factors include unresolved infections, uncontrolled immune responses, dietary influences, environmental factors, ongoing stress, excessive exercise, toxin exposure as well as various medication interactions including vaccines.  Chronic inflammation is closely connected with the aging process in humans as well as animals and is responsible for cellular deterioration due to free radical production.

Chronic inflammation is associated with a host of conditions affecting animals as well as people.  In people, there is a strong connection with arthritis, joint pain/stiffness, cancer, diabetes, allergies and cardiovascular disease.  In horses, we have a direct connection with arthritis, joint deterioration, laminitis, navicular syndrome, COPD, uveitis, tendon conditions and insulin resistance.  Companion pets are in the same group and are affected by arthritis, back conditions, skin conditions....the list goes on and on.

As a veterinarian treating these conditions, I find there are many limitations and often times, pharmaceutical medications leave many gaps.  Chronic inflammation is a huge player in overall health as well as in recovery. It is a process that I feel is not being addressed.  Many prescription pain medications often times only focus on a small facet of the inflammatory process, usually affecting pain levels only, which leaves the process ongoing with tissue potentially being affected, not to mention overall health being impacted.

Many herbs, including curcumin and boswellia, have been heavily researched and proven effective on multiple levels against inflammation, often times superior to prescription medications.  Given the major connection between ongoing inflammation and disease, the ultimate question is 'what are you doing to control chronic inflammation?" 

I firmly believe we should be proactive in our health as well as that of our pets and horses.  We ask so much of ourselves and our pets, that in return we need to provide some level of protection.  Like many of you, I encounter individuals affected by a variety of health conditions that could be impacted for the better by addressing chronic inflammation.  Many take advantage of the options available, while unfortunately others do not.  The same holds true for pets and many horses.  There is way too much dependence on pharmaceutical medications, in my opinion, and less exploration as to the root causes of the condition.  This is an area of interest to me and an area of focus for our research, hopefully to benefit others.

Thank you all again for your support and I hope you find this information valuable!

Tom Schell, D.V.M.

Nouvelle Research, Inc.

tschelldvm@nouvelleresearch.com
www.curost.com