How inflammation causes pain — and 4 natural ways to reduce it

Pain is your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. But behind most pain — whether it’s in your back, neck, joints, or something else — there’s usually one key culprit: inflammation. Understanding how inflammation works, and how to naturally keep it in check, can be the difference between temporary relief and lasting results.

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body’s built-in healing response. When you’re injured, stressed, or exposed to irritants, your immune system sends white blood cells and chemicals to the affected area to protect and repair tissues.

In the short term, this is a good thing — it helps the body heal. You might notice swelling, redness, or soreness around an injury — all signs of increased inflammation — and signs your body is doing its job.

However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it can actually do more harm than good. Chronic inflammation keeps pain signals firing, breaks down healthy tissue, and can make even simple daily movements uncomfortable.

How Inflammation Causes Pain

When inflammation lingers, it can:

• Increase sensitivity in nerves — causing pain even when no structural damage is present.

• Create muscle tightness and stiffness — especially in the neck, shoulders, hips, and back.

• Reduce circulation — preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching muscles and joints efficiently.

• Trigger a feedback loop — where pain causes more inflammation, and inflammation causes more pain.

In my practice, I often see patients whose pain isn’t coming from a pinched nerve or misalignment, but from irritated, inflamed soft tissue that has never had a chance to calm down and heal properly.

4 Natural Ways to Reduce Inflammation

You don’t have to rely solely on medication to fight inflammation. Your daily habits — movement, nutrition, recovery, and mindset — can play a huge role in helping your body heal and stay balanced.

1. Move Every Day (Even When You’re Sore)

Gentle, consistent movement helps flush out inflammatory chemicals and increase blood flow to healing tissues. Try light mobility work, stretching, or short walks throughout the day.

Movement shouldn’t hurt — it should feel like you’re “waking up” your muscles, not straining them.

2. Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Your diet can either fuel inflammation or fight it. Aim to eat foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids:

• Wild-caught salmon, trout, or sardines

• Leafy greens like spinach and arugula

• Berries, avocado, olive oil, and turmeric

Limit processed foods, sugars, and vegetable oils — these can worsen inflammation and prolong recovery. If you’re looking for more information on anti-inflammatory foods, visit our Diet blog post.

3. Improve Your Sleep and Recovery

Your body does most of its repair work while you sleep. Poor sleep increases cortisol (a stress hormone) which can drive inflammation. Aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep and consider adding recovery practices like deep breathing, contrast showers, or gentle stretching before bed.

4. Support Soft Tissue Health

Soft tissues — muscles, ligaments, and fascia — can hold onto inflammation long after the original injury is gone. Chiropractic care focused on manual therapy, stretching, and movement retraining helps break up adhesions, improve circulation, and restore balance to the body.

We don’t just focus on bones and joints. We target the muscle and soft tissue component of pain — the real source of inflammation for many people.

Inflammation isn’t the enemy — it’s a sign that your body is trying to heal. But when it becomes chronic, it can silently keep you stuck in pain.

The good news? You can take control naturally. By combining the right movement, nutrition, recovery, and soft tissue care, you can reduce inflammation, restore mobility, and feel like yourself again.

If you’re dealing with chronic pain, stiffness, or inflammation, schedule a visit today. We’ll identify the root cause of your pain and create a personalized plan to help you move and feel better — fast.

Any questions? Feel free to reach out to our office via phone or text: (310) 880-9663. Happy healing!

Disclaimer: The information provided on this chiropractic blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. Reliance on any information provided by this blog is solely at your own risk.