Inflammation is incredibly important. It helps fight foreign invaders and has a role in repairing damage in your body. However, inflammation can act as chain reaction in the body, started by oxidative stress from environmental factors like chemicals found in food or the air. The stress causes a buildup of reactive oxygen species, also known as free radicals, that can wreak havoc on the body if it left untreated. Although acute, short-term inflammation is beneficial, it can be a concern if it becomes chronic and attacks your body’s own tissues.

A classic example would be your muscles, which become inflamed and tender after a hard workout or intense activity, but these generally aren’t things that require evaluation by a doctor. What we worry about are the injuries that can cause permanent damage if they are not evaluated and treated properly. Sometimes these injuries are subtle. But more often than not, these injuries are acute and come with sharp, noticeable pain. You may start to turn to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve the pain. Despite NSAIDs being anti-inflammatory, NSAIDs can increase side effects on the immune system as well as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal complications, including peptic ulcer disease, as it can damage the stomach mucosa. Besides that, NSAIDs may increase fluid retention and lead to decreased blood flow to kidneys, that may cause an increased risk of sudden kidney failure and even progressive kidney damage.  

For a safer alternative, taking herbal therapies or supplements with high antioxidants and has powerful anti-inflammatory effects including Tumeric and Ginger have been shown to reduce the pain of delayed onset muscle inflammation and speed up recovery.