What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to fighting off infection, disease, and injury. It’s a
crucial aspect of healing, however it comes with its downsides. Inflammation can make life a
nightmare for you while it does a job, resulting in a number of side effects. At some point you’ve
probably noticed heat, redness of skin, and swelling in various parts of your body, which is
usually a sign that inflammation is at work. In more serious cases you’ll notice physical pain or
reduced function for a specific body part.
Unfortunately, inflammation isn’t always helpful. Feeling sore is never ideal, but under the
circumstances of acute inflammation you’ll be back to normal in under two weeks. Chronic
inflammation is where things start to take a turn for the worse. This type of inflammation is
generally less intense, but can last much longer, may occur without any actual illness or injury,
and can create serious long term health issues. These include fatigue, insomnia, mood
disorders like depression, gastrointestinal problems, and weight gain.
Inflammation can be both a friend and a foe, but what is the underlying source of this fickle
bodily function?
What Causes Inflammation?
Inflammation can come from a wide variety of sources. You might suffer from some minor
inflammation after a particularly intense workout session or bout of training, and one of the most
common causes is physical injury. Alongside various illnesses, these are the causes of
inflammation we’ll most commonly face.
There are a number of other ways inflammation can be brought on, many of which can lead to
the more serious side effects we mentioned. Various pre-existing medical conditions can be a
common cause, while inflammation is often a reaction to certain medications. Additionally,
having foreign materials in the body can quickly cause inflammation. Ever had a splinter? If left
unchecked the affected area will quickly become inflamed.
Your diet plays a role in causing inflammation too. Sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and
processed meats can all result in worsened inflammation.
What Can I do to Prevent Inflammation?
So, the million dollar question focuses on what you can actively do to prevent inflammation
before it takes hold.
One of the easiest ways to prevent inflammation is to implement stretching into your pre-
exercise warm up and post-exercise cooldown. Stretching gets your body ready for a workout,
priming your muscles for the wok ahead. Doing this can save you from soreness later on, with a
National Center for Biotechnology Information study showing that just 10 minutes of stretching
can result in a noticeable decrease in inflammation.
Managing workload is also crucial for avoiding inflammation. Going extra hard in the gym every
day might seem like a good idea, but can leave you hobbling around in the days following.
Keeping track of your workload is a good idea even in non-exercise situations. Particularly in
jobs with an aspect of physicality, it’s important to take notice of what your body is being put
through. Avoiding an overload can save you from inflammation.
In the same way eating specific foods can encourage inflammation, certain foods have an anti-
inflammatory effect. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always a great choice, while other options
like garlic, olive oil, and a number of spices such as ginger can help. Obviously, avoiding the
inflammatory foods we mentioned earlier will provide relief.
At Cryospa we offer a comprehensive range of unique treatments that can significantly reduce
and prevent inflammation. Two highly effective and very simple treatments you can utilise are
infrared saunas and Himalayan salt rooms, both of which you’ll find at Cryospa. An infrared
sauna functions much like a regular sauna, however it employs infrared lamps instead of
conventional sauna methods, allowing the heating process to be far more efficient. During the
session you will experience improved blood circulation, which plays a significant role in fighting
inflammation. Salt has long been known as a natural anti-inflammatory, so naturally, spending
time in Cryospa’s salt room can be a major help. In particular, inhaling the particles during a
session can significantly reduce inflammation from many respiratory issues.
If you’re looking for a more hightech solution for inflammation, Cryospa also has you covered.
When lower body inflammation is a concern, our NormaTec compression recovery boots are a
great place to turn. Specifically designed to aid recovery after exercise, these compression
boots stimulate blood flow through your legs using compressed air. This mimics the way the
muscles function naturally and speeds up many of the natural processes of the human body.
For a whole body treatment, you might want to slide into a cryotherapy chamber. Using
intensely cold temperatures, the cryotherapy will reduce inflammation and damage to muscle
cells, helping you feel your best once again.
Inflammation can be a serious roadblock in your day to day life, so if you’re searching for
solutions to prevent and reduce it, get in touch with Cryospa today to see how we can help
make inflammation a thing of the past for you.
