“I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord!” - Psalm 139:14 TPT

Inflammation & Our Pain Experience

I was always one of those kids that wanted to know why; why is the sky blue, how is butter made, etc. As I got into college and dug my heels into a Kinesiology degree to learn more of the how and why’s of our human body, I was hooked!

Research, exercise science, and our scientific understanding of our human body has come a long way and my mind is blown daily as I link science with God’s mysteriously complex and marvelously breathtaking design of our bodies (Psalms 139:14).

One of those science + mystery topics is our pain experience. Most likely you have a pain story, one you may be walking through currently or are on the other side of.

Pain is a complex, yet normal, human experience. In fact, I teach an entire 40-hour course on the more current understanding of the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of pain. For a small 1-hour intro to the topic, check out this recording.

For this post, I want to focus on just one piece of the puzzle and that is the role of low-grade inflammation in our physiological pain.

While there are still many questions that need answers, there is evidence systemic low-grade inflammation (not associated with an acute infection), is a contributor in physiological pain.

Check out this 2021 published review ⬇️

Does Low Grade Systemic Inflammation Have a Role in Chronic Pain?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8631544/

Good news!
We can make daily whole-body choices that impact our low-grade, systemic inflammation:

1. Move your body: Exercise itself protects against low-grade inflammation, check out this quick "Take 10 Full-Body" workout for a fun and effective movement sesh.

2. Eat nutrient-dense whole foods: Like your great-grandma used to eat! Drink plenty of clean, mineral-rich water.

3. Manage your stress: One of my personal favorite ways is through breath practices like this one: Box Breathing

4. Consider axing gluten: Get curious and notice how your body responds neurologically and physically to gluten, it can cause issues for many. Try this GF-DF summer squash recipe from Maggie, our resident Health Coach!

5. Take care of your gut microbiome: A thriving inner environment impacts every aspect of your health. Things like probiotics, fermented foods and all of these other steps will help on this journey!

6. Protect your sleep: Adequate sleep is honestly one of the best ways to support your overall well-being. Give yourself plenty of non-screen time before bed and create a relaxing bedtime routine to support your transition to restful sleep.

7. Support your emotional health: Being real about our emotions so that we can process them and work through them is an integral part of healing and learning to live in the peace of God. One way to support rewiring thought patterns is through meditation. Try this meditation on Psalm 23, focusing on the Lord being your Good Shepherd.

Friend, living with any level of pain is challenging to say the least and I speak from personal experience. I hope and pray you feel encouraged that you have tools and support through With-God Wellness to walk forward with as much ease as possible.

This is our mission, so feel free to join us at With-God Wellness to start getting the help and support you need, because your wellness is a divine journey.

Walking the path alongside you!

Jen Allbritton
E-RYT 500
B.S. in Kinesiology
Co-Founder of With-God Wellness