Inflammation is the body's repair response. It becomes a problem when it never shuts off, and low grade chronic inflammation is remarkably good at hiding from a standard physical.
What chronic inflammation feels like
- Joints that ache in the morning and loosen up by mid-day.
- Brain fog and short term memory slips.
- Weight that will not move regardless of calories.
- Skin flares, congestion or unexplained rashes.
- Fatigue that feels like recovering from a mild illness that never ends.
Markers we run
- hs-CRP - high sensitivity C-reactive protein, sensitive enough to catch the low grade range a standard CRP misses.
- Homocysteine - reflects methylation status and vascular inflammation, and often responds well to targeted B vitamin support.
- Fibrinogen and ferritin - acute phase proteins that rise with systemic inflammation.
- Fasting insulin and HbA1c - because blood sugar instability is one of the most common inflammatory drivers we find.
- Autoimmune antibody panels - when the pattern suggests the immune system is targeting tissue.
- Oxidative stress markers - the wear and tear side of the same process.
Finding the driver, not just the number
A high hs-CRP tells you the fire is burning. It does not tell you what is fueling it. The most common fuels we identify:
- Gut infections and bacterial overgrowth, confirmed with comprehensive stool analysis.
- Food allergies keeping the immune system on alert daily.
- Blood sugar swings from a diet that looks healthy on paper.
- Mold and mycotoxin exposure, common in older Colorado homes with past water damage.
- Heavy metal burden.
- Chronic stress and short sleep.
What lowers it
Removing the driver is what changes the marker. Anti-inflammatory eating, omega 3 status, vitamin D optimization, sleep and strength training all help, but they are far more effective once the specific fuel source has been identified and addressed. That sequence is the difference between managing inflammation and resolving it.