Is Your Body on Fire? The Functional Medicine and Inflammation Connection

That may sound like a rather harsh question, but this is where the word inflammation comes from. The word inflammation comes from the Latin word inflammatio; inflammare which means to set on fire. The best way to describe inflammation is to say the tissues of the body are “on fire.” Your body is creating this fire in response to damaged cells in your body. When your cells are damaged by anything, your body starts a fire. The purpose of this fire is to contain/limit the damage so it does not spread, break down damaged cells for removal and permit the development of new, healthy cells.

What Causes This Fire?

Inflammation is like a fire in your body, but since it is not an actual fire, what causes this body-fire?

Below are some of the chemicals your body makes to create this fire:

“Body-Fire Chemicals”

• Histamine
• Bradykinin
• Serotonin
• Prostaglandins
• Complement system (a group of about 20 different proteins)
• Cytokines including lymphokines and monokines
• Etc.

As you can see from the list above, the process of inflammation is not caused by a single chemical; it is a complicated process, involving many different chemicals. This is why so few people understand what inflammation actually is…there is not a single cause. You just need to know that inflammation is like a fire in your body.

Healthy Inflammation is Good!

When inflammation is short-term and controlled it is a very good thing because it is a necessary part of the healing process. The “fire” of inflammation cleans out the useless and damaged cells and lets new healthy ones take their place. This is what I call “healthy inflammation.”

Chronic Inflammation is Bad!

Healthy inflammation is like a cleansing process of the body. It is short-term and beneficial. It is like fire that occurs in nature. For example, fire is a cleansing process in forests; old, sick and decaying vegetation is burned and removed, making way for new life, triggering new trees and other plants to sprout, grow and take the place of the old, sick and dead vegetation. This process in nature is beneficial when it occurs periodically. It would be harmful if the forest was constantly burning or if it burned down every year. This is what happens in your body with chronic inflammation…the fire never dies out. The cells of your body cannot repair themselves and new, healthy cells can’t form. Your “forest” can’t rebuild and thrive and function as nature intended.

How Chronic Inflammation Affects Your Health?

Chronic inflammation can affect all systems of your body.

Brain Health and Inflammation

• Fatigue, brain-fog, insomnia, depression, anxiety and dementia.

Inflammation and Gut Health

• IBS, SIBO, gas, bloating, pain, cramping, leaky gut and malabsorption.

Inflamed Thyroid Caused by Inflammation

• Autoimmunity, low thyroid function, fluctuations in TSH, poor thyroid hormone conversion and decreased effectiveness of thyroid hormone.

Weight Gain

• Inflammation decreases energy production in cells and lowers metabolism. It changes your metabolic rate or your metabolic set point which is set by your brain in the hypothalamus.

Hormone Balance

• Inflammation interferes with hormone regulation at the level of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries or testicles. This can lead to low testosterone in men and poor regulation of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in women. It is also a cause of infertility and the primary cause of pain during menstruation.  The imbalance of hormones could speak to menopause or perimenopause.

I could keep going, but I think you get the idea, chronic inflammation causes many problems for your body.

Functional medicine doctors specialize in finding the root cause of chronic inflammation. The root cause of inflammation; the thing that causes it is cell damage. The next step in your healing process is to identify what is damaging your cells.

Now you know what inflammation is…the body on fire and this fire is your body’s response to damaged cells. Discover what is causing the damage to cells and you can reduce inflammation.

Inflammation and Functional Medicine

Functional medicine takes a holistic approach to addressing inflammation, focusing on identifying and treating its root causes rather than just managing symptoms. Chronic inflammation is often linked to various conditions, including autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and digestive issues. Functional medicine practitioners assess factors such as diet, gut health, stress levels, environmental toxins, and genetic predispositions to create personalized treatment plans. Through targeted interventions like anti-inflammatory diets, stress management, gut microbiome support, and lifestyle modifications, functional medicine helps treat inflammation by restoring balance to the body’s systems. By addressing the underlying triggers, this approach not only alleviates symptoms but also promotes long-term health and disease prevention.

Common Inflammatory Disorders

Here are some of the most well-known inflammatory disorders:

Autoimmune Disorders

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Digestive Disorders

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Food Allergies and Sensitivities
• Celiac Disease
• Leaky Gut

Metabolic and Cardiovascular Conditions

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Atherosclerosis
• Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Skin Disorders

• Psoriasis
• Eczema

Respiratory Conditions

• Asthma
• Chronic Sinusitis

Chronic Pain Conditions

• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Neurological Conditions

• Cognitive Decline
• Brain Fog
• Depression
• Anxiety

Functional medicine is the best treatment for chronic disease because it addresses the root cause of inflammation rather than just managing the symptoms.  Conventional medicine often relies on medications like NSAIDS, steroids, or immunosuppressants, which can provide temporary relief but do not resolve the underlying issues driving the chronic inflammation.  

Another reason functional medicine excels in treating chronic inflammation is its focus on diet, lifestyle, and natural interventions.  Many inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic disorders, are directly influenced by nutrition, stress, sleep, and gut health.  Functional medicine prioritizes an anti-inflammatory diet, along with targeted supplementation, detoxification, and stress management strategies.  By optimizing these factors, functional medicine not only reduces inflammation but also strengthens the body’s resilience, helping to prevent disease progression and recurrence. 

This approach leads to better long-term outcomes, reducing dependence on medications while improving overall health, energy levels, and quality of life.  By restoring balance to the body’s systems, functional medicine offers a sustainable and effective solution for chronic inflammatory disease.  Contact us today to speak more to inflammation and functional medicine now.