Modern medicine is constantly fighting inflammation. From icing our aching limbs to taking aspirin and NSAIDs, we've been raised to believe we must bring the swelling down ... but what if swelling were a great thing? It is. When injured or diseased, the body begins the "inflammatory response," which is really a series of critical repair stages, involving enlarging and walling off the injured site, rushing blood and lymph fluid to bring in nutrients and remove waste, and instituting a specific enzyme and cell-feeding sequence that sets the stage for tissue regeneration.
Interference with the inflammatory response results in the biochemistry of repair being sabotaged such that incomplete healing is likely to occur, with the chance of chronic, recurring problems. So rather than viewing the discomfort of swelling and inflammation as being something to suppress, why not let your body do its thing?
See a wonderful, inspiring piece by Vic Shayne, PhD and Judith DeCava, CNC here