---
title: "How To Not Let Injuries Take Their Toll"
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markdown_url: "https://www.alpinenaturalhealth.ca/llms/blog/how-to-not-let-injuries-take-their-toll"
lastmod: "2026-09-04T12:34:00.000Z"
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You may have heard how inflammation can be bad for the body. There are many diseases linked to inflammation - cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, autoimmune disease, diabetes, to name a few.

But it is not the case that all inflammation is bad....

What it comes down to is the timing of inflammation & its overall purpose.

Acute inflammation - is the type that occurs after an injury. It appears during the early days when you are nursing yourself after a sprain or strain. This is the redness, warmth and swelling that surrounds the tissues and joints that were injured. And is critical for the overall healing process. Your immune system begins to release white blood cells into the area - particularly platelets that begin to signal a full on healing response. Followed by troops of fibroblasts to lay down new tissue.

Chronic inflammation is the type that persists. The low grade inflammatory state that wreaks havoc on the body. Chronic inflammation can continue on well after the trigger is gone. When it isn't quelled, healthy cells get damaged & leads to chronic, disabling illnesses.

And you can have Subacute inflammation. The type where chronic inflammation supersedes acute. Wherein if you are already suffering from a chronic disease like diabetes - a new onset injury may be more painful for you & more difficult to recover from than if you did not have diabetes.

With an acute injury there are a few things to remember.

It is a good thing to have inflammation. That's where it is important to encourage the body to do its thing & not squelch its wisdom.

This is where the acronym of RICE should be switched with MEAT. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. RICE stops the body from doing what it is intending to do in its tracks. Wherein MEAT is Movement, Elevation, Analgesic and Early Treatment. The later supports the inflammatory response.

Making lifestyle changes continually can help drop chronic inflammation patterns to help support your body's acute healing responses.

Some lifestyle changes to consider include:

Eating an Anti-inflammatory Diet. This is that type of diet that your great grandmother would have eaten. Rich in veggies, fish, healthy meat. And deficient in sugar, processed foods, saturated fats.

Quitting Smoking & Reducing Alcohol. Both of these habits are detrimental to cells & cellular recovery.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight. Being overweight makes it more difficult to be active. Fat cells release inflammatory markers. Chronic inflammation and obesity both worsen chronic disease factors - especially where it pertains to the heart.

Exercising Regularly. Just 20 minutes of movement is enough to boost your immune system to have an anti-inflammatory impact. Building muscle combats inflammation. And getting the heart moving through brisk walking will help you to reduce weight.

Practicing Stress Management. Mindfulness mediation can be effective in relieving inflammatory symptoms. Mind-body practices can improve the immune system & drop the inflammatory response. Getting outside in nature for even just 20 minutes per day can have a large impact in your pain response and inflammatory condition.

I have put together a [Masterclass](https://www.alpinenaturalhealth.ca/masterclass) for your needs on The [3] Massive Mistakes That Most People Make After an ACL Injury. The tips in this masterclass can apply to many injuries that are sustained on the hill.