There are certain cringe worthy words we hear from time to time as equestrians. One of those words is inflammation. Whether it is our horses or ourselves, we know that word usually means trouble (and stall rest). This blog will explain exactly what inflammation is and how it has a cycle. After reading this, you will better understand the cycle your horse goes through when he is inflamed and how you can help make him more comfortable or get him back to soundness.
First of all, what is inflammation? By definition, inflammation is a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection. Let us begin by saying that inflammation is a process. It also goes by the name of “inflammatory response”. Inflammation is not a constant thing, it is constantly changing. Example, if your knee is swollen, it will not always be swollen.
The next major question is, “What causes inflammation?” The swelling or inflammation is almost always a reaction to injury and the swelling will go down as your injury heals. When you injured your knee or when your horse took a bad step coming off the third barrel, the body created an inflammatory response to that injury.
Lets now talk about the process of inflammation. When you or your horse sustain an injury, your body rushes blood to that area. Don’t worry, this is your body trying to heal and protect you! The blood traveling to that area is full of nutrition and immune boosting cells. This extra circulation of blood is very helpful in the healing process. If the cycle runs its course normally, the continued circulation will help remove the negative antibodies and fill the area with healthy cells. This will reduce the swelling and inflammation, returning the area to normal. Sometimes the blood rushing to the area will not circulate properly. That is when this positive process can turn negative. That extra build up of fluid can turn bad when too much fluid gets trapped in the area.
With the extra fluid trapped in this area it also becomes more sensitive. This is why your swollen and inflamed areas are in much more pain than normal. As horse owners (or athletes ourselves) this is the best time to add cold to the area. We are likely to ice ourselves or give our horses hydrotherapy (cold hosing). This can certainly help the process but as we all know, inflammation typically takes a few days to run its course.
When pain is associated with inflammation, many people reach for a pill or powder to help. Giving a NSAIDS or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs though might temporarily reduce the pain associated with the injury or inflammation, it doesn’t HEAL the inflammation. It simply acts as a band-aid to mask the pain. NSAIDS send signals to your brain that the injury is healed. Though it is more comfortable, you can actually do more damage since you are putting pressure on an injury that is still inflamed.
So here is the big question, what can we do for inflammation if NSAIDS only mask it? This is where Precision can make a huge difference. (For your horses, sorry we are still working on humans!) Precision’s cutting edge ingredients include a blend of enzymes can actually help reduce chronic and acute inflammation. Precision’s blend of enzymes actually take the natural process of inflammation and speeds it up! This allows the body to complete the important cycle of inflammation, just at an accelerated rate. In addition, Precision’s blend of enzymes cleanse toxins and free radicals from soft tissue, along with supporting the body’s immune function as well. Precision as a whole also helps feed nutrients and to the cells helping reproduce stronger healthier cells, tissue and bones.
In conclusion, inflammation can be a burden but the whole process is an important one. The swelling helps bring nutrients into the injured area helping the process of healing. If there isn’t enough circulation, the swelling will stay in the area and the process is slowed down. NSAIDS though can help with discomfort, do not actually help the process of inflammation. The only way to truly heal inflammation it to let it run its course. With a product like Precision Joint Solution. The process is not stopped but actually sped up. To learn more about Precision’s ingredients, click here!