Image via Wikipedia

Research continues to point to how inflammation is the cause or a strong co-cause for most illness. The C-reactive protein test, which detects the undetected inflammation in your body, is the best indication of cardiovascular disease. It’s not the acute inflammation of an injury that is a concern. It is the chronic inflammation produces disease.

You can continue to treat the affect of the inflammation, or you can treat the cause. The cause is an irritant, which is stress to the body. It might be a repetitive motion injury, an allergen, a toxin or the psychological stress of life.

Along with inflammation, the body produces scar tissue, be it in the blood vessel or the fascia of your leg. You see it with that bad ankle sprain you had many years ago. First, it hurt like hell and swelled up. Today you are left with a thicker retinuculum, a band of fascia around the tendons above the ankle. Over time, full range of motion is restricted while making your ankle more vulnerable to strains.

Mark Hyman, MD wrote an excellent article explaining the role of inflammation in disease and what you can do to not only prevent disease, but stay young. He doesn’t address what Rolfing addresses, the soft tissue system. I would also add that all infection starts with inflammation. But after watching his video or reading his post you will better understanding how chronic irritation produces chronic inflammation leading to dis-ease.

As Rolfers, we help release the stressors of mis-alignment, movement maladaptation and the emotional stress stored in the soft tissue recreating more stress. A Rolfed body not only contains less stress, it is more adaptable to stress there by not being so “irritated.” Without constant irritation, there is not inflammation and scaring.

As Hyman says, deal with the cause. Don’t keep treating the symptoms with a litany of drugs.