Ease chronic inflammation

Q: As a teenager, I sprained my ankle repeatedly. Twenty years later, I have chronic inflammation and pain and feel like it’s affecting my whole body. What’s going on? — Stu Y., Kankakee, Illinois

A: We often think of chronic inflammation and pain as being the result of an autoimmune condition, like rheumatoid arthritis, in which the body attacks healthy tissue, or from exposure to toxins, such as industrial chemicals, but it can also arise from acute inflammation that’s from an infection or an injury — like your repeated sprains — according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Chronic pain affects around 21% of U.S. adults, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey. That amounts to an estimated 51.6 million folks who have contended with it for three months or longer and around 17.1 million who say it restricts their everyday activities. Such a persistent inflammatory response can produce sensations that are much more diffuse than those associated with acute pain. The symptoms of chronic inflammation, according to Harvard Medical School, include depression, anxiety, muscle aches and joint pain, constipation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal complaints, changes in weight or appetite, headaches and brain fog.

Anyone with chronic pain and inflammation can be evaluated by a doctor to identify the initial trigger, if possible, and to discuss the pros and cons of physical therapy, surgery and medications to ease or resolve it. But self-help works, too!

— Avoid inflammatory foods including red and processed meats, highly processed foods, excess alcohol, and especially any added sugars and syrups.

— Maintain a healthy weight — it’s gentler on joints and tamps down body-wide inflammation.

— Move it — start slowly, adding a few more steps daily, aiming for 10,000.

— Practice good sleep habits — a quiet, cool, dark, digital-free bedroom; and 6.5-8.5 hours of sleep nightly.

— Adopt stress reduction techniques like yoga, meditation, and spending time with friends.

Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.