Inflammation is an integral part of your body’s defense system.
You twist your ankle stepping off the curb and the area around the injury immediately begins to swell and fill with heat. Blood circulation increases and an army of white blood cells rush the area to ward off the perceived threat and prevent further injury. The same happens if you cut your foot on a sharp shell while walking the beach, when you get the flu from your grandchildren, or if you bump your head on a cabinet door that your spouse forgot to shut.
In acute doses, inflammation is a vital immune response that harnesses the potential to protect us.
So why is inflammation always getting a bad rap?
Unfortunately, this immune response sometimes occurs when it shouldn’t and for longer periods than is necessary. Autoimmune disorders, untreated injuries, exposure to toxins – all of these can be causes of chronic inflammation. The biggest culprit though, stress.
Catherine F. of Myrtle Beach sought treatment here at AIM after several doctors and specialists were unable to treat what she thought was run-of-the-mill arthritis. “I hurt all the time and while I’ve always managed to get out of bed, some days it felt like getting up in the morning was going to be the hardest thing I did in this life.”
Before her consultation, Catherine had tried prescription medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy with little to no success. “I was at the end of my rope. My husband was at the end of his. He is the one who first read about AIM and how they were using acupuncture and ozone therapy to treat pain and fatigue. The only thing I had to lose at that point was him. He’s been so kind and patient through this whole ordeal but I could tell this was just as hard on him as it was on me. I mean who wants to watch while the person they love suffers nearly every day.”
Our staff understands that the chronic pain and complicated conditions they specialize in treating are often a family affair and encourage loved ones to accompany patients to their consultations, even treatments. The kind of pain our patients suffer from is rarely felt alone. It causes disappointment when they have to cancel plans with their family. It causes resentment when they don’t feel well enough to do the things their spouse wants to do. It causes frustration when they are unable to play with their grandchildren. So when our patients have a support system on their healing journey, it greatly increases their chances of success, in getting back to living their life.
Having a loved one present has also proven to be beneficial during the consultation process. Our Doctor elaborates, “As we discussed Catherine’s medical history and delved into when her pain and fatigue started, her husband mentioned that it was around the time they lost their daughter.”
“It’s just not something I normally discuss,” tells Catherine, “especially with people I just meet. There are still so many emotions surrounding that day.”
In Catherine’s case, this turned out to be vital information. Stress can be a major contributor to chronic inflammation and the emotional turmoil from losing a loved one, especially a child, is quite simply unfathomable. Studies have shown that people who have recently lost a loved one have inflammation levels 54% higher than average. And when you consider that chronic inflammation is at the root of major health disorders like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and autoimmune conditions, it’s safe to say that you can quite literally die from a broken heart.
Of course, inflammation caused by stress goes way beyond grief and loss. Our staff has seen chronic inflammation in patients with high-stress jobs, couples who are going through a divorce, and even people in the process of building their dream home. The body reacts to stress by releasing chemicals and hormones that are meant to be short-term, but when that stress is unmanageable or continues for long periods, it can cause increased inflammation and a myriad of other chronic health problems.
Catherine has been a patient of ours for almost three months and couldn’t wait for the opportunity to sit down and share her success story. “I’ll never understand how tiny needles and oxygen can make such a huge difference, but at this point, I’m so happy it doesn’t really matter.. Coming to AIM saved my life and my marriage! I’m still grieving and I’m not sure that will ever go away, but the treatments, the staff – it’s reduced my physical pain so I finally have the energy to face life, to show up.”
We specialize in treating chronic pain and complicated conditions by seamlessly blending the time-tested science of acupuncture with modern, medical solutions like our O3 ReBoot Therapy® and ATP Resonance BioTherapyⓇ. For a comprehensive list of services and what we treat, visit our ‘What We Treat‘ page. Call (843)273-4467 to schedule a consultation or complete our New Patient Offer and a Care Coordinator will be in touch!