We have a set of 12 “Core Commandments” we use as a guide and hold in mind when we are in clinic as part of the Core Concepts in Chiropractic Nutrition.
Number 9 is:
Sometimes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.
We use a blood test called C reactive protein for measuring inflammation in the blood.
So, if it is positive, then it is positive (over 7.5 mg/L). But it is not inflammation itself per se, it is downstream as part of the process of inflammation. So if it is within “normal”, then there could still be overt active inflammation.
If you had a ten year old boy with massive inflamed and swollen DIP/PIP’s in the hands and knees, unable to walk, and this test result came back, would you rule out inflammatory arthritis?
A measly 2 mg/L CRP is normal and you can be as high as 7.5 before the NHS cares.
And yet, he had 100% has it and was about to go onto methoxtrexate and NSAID’s to stop the destruction of his joints.
In fact, you can see here his immune system marker IgA are very elevated.
What might those immune molecules be after?
That is all part of your total inflammatory load, the first letter of which is F for Food.
Here are his food intolerance IgG markers.
That is a seriously leaky gut and a very inflamed system.
And yet, his CRP of 2 was normal and in fact not far off optimal, which we generally say is under 1 mg/L.
Rule number 4:
While optimal is under 1mg/L, anything over 3 mg/l we are definitely interested in.
We would consider this a sustained low grade inflammatory response.
Maybe it is due to that undiagnosed vitamin D deficiency after a long winter?
And the magnesium deficiency from the poor diet and poor absorption.
This is seriously low-hanging fruit to pick here:
If in doubt, start with Daily Maintenance 2, keep it simple.
Remember from a month ago we talked about statins and if they actually work by reducing inflammation rather than cholesterol.
The drug companies know anything over 2 mg/L, means an increased risk of heart disease.
If it is good enough for the PhD researchers at big pharma, it is good enough for us.