At this point most everyone has been exposed to the Covid-19 spike protein through natural infection or vaccination. There is a definite link to Covid19 and inflammation. It is clear that the vascular system, specifically the tunica media, becomes inflamed. What’s the tunica media and how does it affect your health?
Let’s get a quick understanding of the tunica media. As you can see in the above image, the tunica media is the middle layer of our blood vessels, ALL blood vessels (including the vessels of the lungs, heart and brain). It is made of mostly smooth muscle tissue with small amounts of skeletal muscle. Its prime role is to make sure vein and artery tissue stay strong yet elastic to manage blood flow and pressure. The health of the tunica media is a major influencer of artery wall cuts that lead to a buildup of plaque. Plaque which clogs the arteries and lead to heart attacks. So let’s explore the issue with tunica media inflammation.
First, the inflammation of the tunica media causes the release of interleukin-6. This, in turn, creates a cascade of inflammatory agents resulting in the now infamous cytokine storm. Thus, this inflammation also creates a scarring of the tunica media leading to arteriosclerosis, as mentioned above. If you want to take a deep dive into what the scholarly journals have to say on Covid-19 and tunica media inflammation you can do so here.
How to heal the inflammation?
The big question is, what can we do from an exercise standpoint to heal and strengthen the tunica media? My preferred method of treatment is pumping, generally with manual osteo-aticular pumping combined with exercises for each brach of the vascular system. As a side note, the above treatment is usually carried out after the “containers’ have been addressed. You can learn more about the “containers” in my previous blog.
Joint pumping is a hands on therapy treatment to aid the movement of fluids to restore balance and stability to damaged parts of the body. In this case, that is the vascular system. The therapist pumps the joints above and below the affected tissue to increase and improve blood flow. This allows you to have more awareness around that part of the body before you begin the exercises.
The exercises are the self balancing part of the treatment. These are made up of specific a sequence of muscle contractions that follow a path of veins from the foot up to the inferior vena cava, the large vein that that carries blood from the torso and lower body to the right side of the heart to get oxygen from the lungs. You can imagine how this is important given all the complications we have seen, heard of, or experienced in the recent past.
Each segment allows movement of the blood through the body. These segment have dynamic movement portion, a hold and a draining movement. Most importantly, these exercises are not limited to Covid! They apply to varicose veins, reduced blood flow, and all around good heart health.
Covid-19 and hair loss.
COVID-19, known primarily for its respiratory symptoms, also has a significant impact on other body systems, including the skin and hair. One of the notable effects is hair loss, often attributed to the stress and inflammation caused by the virus. This type of hair loss, medically termed as telogen effluvium, occurs when more hairs than usual enter the shedding phase due to physical or emotional stress. The inflammation triggered by COVID-19 can disrupt the normal hair growth cycle, leading to this condition.
The relationship between COVID-19 and hair loss is further complicated by factors such as the body’s immune response, psychological stress, and the side effects of treatment used for the virus. These factors can exacerbate the severity of hair loss. While telogen effluvium is usually temporary, the duration and severity can vary depending on individual health and the extent of stress or inflammation experienced. This highlights the diverse and sometimes unexpected symptoms associated with COVID-19, extending beyond its direct viral effects.
Covid and Exercise?
When you are ready to receive a treatment or learn take control of you health and vascular system with our circulatory exercises you can do so via our in person and online options. Pierce Family Wellness helps motivated people, like you, connect with fitness!
Covid-19 causes inflammation of the blood vessels, leading to systemic inflammation throughout the body. It is crucial to raise awareness about this alarming consequence. Share this blog post on social media to help spread the word and protect others. If you have any questions please send us a message here!
