Discover what inflammation is, its causes and symptoms, and how to reduce it naturally through a root cause approach
Inflammation is an essential defense mechanism, the way your body responds to injury, infection, or stress. But when inflammation becomes chronic, it can quietly drive disease and diminish your vitality.
At Integrative Wellness Centers, we emphasize a root cause medicine approach to help you understand what’s fueling your inflammation and how to heal from inside out.
In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need toknow about inflammation and why it matters.
Inflammation is the body’s protective response: when you cut yourself, get an infection, or suffer tissue damage, your immune system triggers inflammation to remove harmful stimuli and initiate healing.
Functional and root cause medicine view chronic inflammation as a central thread in many disorders autoimmune disease, metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and more.
Because chronic inflammation affects multiple body systems, symptoms often feel scattered. Common signals include:
If you have ongoing unexplained symptoms and normal standard labs, chronic inflammation might be a hidden contributor.
Inflammation rarely arises from one cause. It’s typically a complex interaction of stressors and vulnerabilities over time. Key contributors include:
Because everyone’s triggers are unique, finding what fuels your inflammation is the first step toward true healing. At Integrative Wellness Centers, we use a functional medicine approach to uncover your personal root causes and create a plan that helps calm inflammation and restore balance.
Testing gives clarity, not guesswork. Here are some useful lab markers we often use in a functional framework:
Healing inflammation involves more than masking symptoms. Here’s a layered plan we commonly use:
Eliminate inflammatory foods, reduce toxin exposure, limit NSAIDs or problematic medications (in coordination with your physician).
Support immune balance and tissue repair with nutrients like magnesium, glutathione, zinc, and antioxidants. Use gut-repair agents (e.g. L-glutamine, collagen) if intestinal integrity is compromised.
Because the gut is central to immune regulation, healing it is critical. Use probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, and possibly targeted microbial therapies.
Implement stress-management practices (meditation, breathing, therapy), improve sleep hygiene, engage in moderate movement, and support detox systems.
Inflammation healing is iterative. We retest, refine, and adapt protocols as your body responds.
While “cure” may be a strong term, many people can reduce chronic inflammation to near-normal levels with consistent work. The body has a robust capacity to heal when given the right support. Over months, many patients report reduced pain, better energy, improved lab markers, and fewer flare-ups.
Chronic inflammation doesn’t have to be your story. At Integrative Wellness Centers, we specialize in guiding Michigan residents (and remote patients) through a root cause pathway to reduce inflammation and restore health.
✨ Schedule your personalized consultation today and let’s uncover what’s fueling your inflammation.
Inflammation is your body’s built-in repair system, but when it stays “switched on” for too long, it can quietly damage tissues, stress your immune system, and set the stage for chronic illness. The good news is that chronic inflammation can often be reduced and even reversed with the right approach. By identifying what is triggering your immune system, supporting your gut, optimizing nutrition, and improving lifestyle habits, you can help your body return to balance.
As top-rated functional medicine doctor, we take a personalized, root cause medicine approach to uncover what is driving your inflammation and create a plan that fits your unique needs. Whether you are dealing with fatigue, joint pain, digestive issues, or unexplained symptoms, we are here to guide you toward healing and long-term vitality.
Dr. Josh Shields, D.C., C.F.M.P. Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner Supporting natural healing since 2003
Q1. Does inflammation always mean something is “wrong”?
Not always. Inflammation is actually your body’s natural defense and healing process. When you get a cut, fight off a virus, or recover from an injury, inflammation helps remove harmful agents and start tissue repair — this is called acute inflammation, and it’s a good thing.
It only becomes a problem when inflammation doesn’t turn off, becoming chronic inflammation, which can silently damage tissues and contribute to long-term health issues like heart disease, diabetes, or autoimmune conditions.
Q2. What foods are most inflammatory?
Ultra-processed foods, refined sugar, trans fats, excess red meat, and synthetic additives.
Q3. Can supplements alone fix inflammation?
Supplements help but are not enough on their own. They work best in synergy with diet, stress management, and lifestyle changes.
Q4. How soon will I feel better?
Some people notice shifts in energy, mood, or digestion within weeks. Deeper systemic change often takes months.
Q5. Is inflammation linked to autoimmune disease?
Yes, chronic inflammation is a known risk factor for autoimmunity because sustained immune activity can erode tolerance.
Q6. Do I need to stop my medications to use this approach?
No. We always work in collaboration with your existing care team. Adjustments may happen over time under supervision.
Take the online digestive evaluation to instantly discover what systems of your body are the cause of your health issues.
Online Digestive EvaluationTake the TestOnline Female Hormone EvaluationOnline Male Hormone Evaluation
When you sign up you'll receive free access to our Hormones Report, Program Guide and more.
