Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - " What is Inflammation?"

I get this question a lot in practice and it is, " when do I apply ice? and when do I apply heat?". Well to answer that question, we need to better understand inflammation. Inflammation is actually the body's attempt to heal. Inflammation is a process where the body is attempting to rid itself of harmful materials including damaged cells, pathogens and toxins/irritants. This is a natural and very essential process to healing wounds and injuries. 

There are two basic types of inflammation that can occur; chronic and acute. Chronic inflammation often occurs when the body for some reason, is unable to rid itself of an irritant or pathogen, or an irritant is continuously present. This scenario keeps the inflammatory response engaged and is not allowed to end. These situations would include; asthma, tuberculosis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

The other scenario, and the one I commonly see in practice is acute inflammation. This will often involve some kind of trauma or injury. A fall, a slip, being hit by something or someone, intense exercise or sports etc. These are often situations when a patient can remember Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - " What is Inflammation?exactly what brought the pain on. In these scenarios, the onset of pain and discomfort is quite fast. The pain is likely reported immediately after or 1-3 days following the incident. In the acute phase, the patient will likely experience the hallmarks of inflammation; "PRISH". That would be; Pain, Redness, Inflammation, Swelling and Heat!.

But let me add that acute inflammation may also commonly be associated with bruising as well. In the immediate hours to days following acute inflammation, it would be better for patients to apply ice. (This would be immediately after the injury up to 3-4 days following). This process will address all the components of PRISH. Applying the ice will help to reduce the pain, redness, inflammation, swelling and heat. Ice can also allow the patient to heal from their injuries faster. 

Now conversely, 3-4 days after an injury or if there was no apparent trauma involved, I would recommend my patients apply heat instead. In these situations, patients will report discomfort often associated with stiff and sore muscles. Heat in these situations will help increase circulation so that the muscles can relax better and pain can be reduced. 

Hope this explanation clears things up a little! Remember, if you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, come stop by my office or visit me here;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!! 

Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan - "Women Suffering from Fatigue Could Benefit from Iron"

Although this isn't normally the primary complaint that I see in practice, it is one that many patients complain of. It's fatigue. The general sense of 'tiredness' or 'lack of energy' that affects a lot of people. Many of these patients will tell me it's not a lack of sleep. Many of these people claim they are getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, however, they can' t get away from the feeling of tiredness.

A recent study from the University of Geneva and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is suggesting that women who complain of fatigue, but who are not anemic, could benefit from iron supplements. The study included 198 women from the ages of 18-53. 102 of the women were given daily iron supplements and the remaining 96 received a placebo pill.  The women were monitored for 12 weeks and the results were compared.

The biggest difference the research found was in fatigue. Interestingly enough, even the group taking placebo pills also reported improvements in fatigue. This group reported a 29% reduction in fatigue. However, the group given the actual iron pills reported a 48% reduction in fatigue. "Our key findings are that iron supplementation can improve the feeling of fatigue in nonanemic women," said study author Paul Vaucher, a neuroscience doctoral student at the University of Geneva.

Asked why iron may be effective for combating fatigue in women with low iron, but not anemic, levels, Vaucher said, "The benefits we observed might not be explained by the effects on blood stores alone."

"Recent neuroscience research suggests that fatigue could be due to the lack of iron in brain tissues, and might be completely independent of iron blood stores," he explained. This is a fascinating twist on the role of iron in human nutrition. To think that iron could actually affect and alter brain physiology means we need to better appreciate the affect of nutrition/supplements on health, mood and energy.

If you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, come visit Dr. Chan's office or stop the website; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!