Sinead Dee 7/30/25 Sinead Dee 7/30/25

Reframing Inflammaging: A Clinical Perspective on Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Ageing

Inflammaging—a term now well established in the biomedical literature—describes low-grade, persistent inflammation that accumulates with age. It underpins many of the chronic, non-specific symptoms we see in older patients: fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, poor sleep, digestive slowing, and decreased resilience.

These symptoms often present before frank pathology is measurable, making early intervention both difficult and crucial. This is where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)—particularly acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine—offers a valuable, evidence-aligned framework.

Sinead Dee 7/23/25 Sinead Dee 7/23/25

⚡ Pain, Fatigue & Mitochondrial Crosstalk

Low-grade chronic inflammation in ageing patients quietly sensitises pain receptors and disrupts mitochondrial energy production. This results in a clinical constellation often seen in older adults:

Persistent, nonspecific muscle or joint pain
Reduced physical resilience and easy fatigability
Non-restorative sleep and heightened sensory sensitivity
“Idiopathic” fatigue that doesn’t respond to conventional therapies

Emerging biomedical evidence highlights a bidirectional relationship: inflammation impairs mitochondrial function → lower ATP output → more reactive oxygen species (ROS) → further inflammation → more mitochondrial damage. This vicious cycle underpins syndromes like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and frailty.

Sinead Dee 7/15/25 Sinead Dee 7/15/25

Vascular Ageing and Endothelial Dysfunction

Inflammaging—the chronic, low-grade inflammation that accompanies ageing—is now widely recognised as a key contributor to vascular stiffening, endothelial dysfunction, and microvascular deterioration….TCM does not treat these changes symptomatically. Instead, it works systemically—restoring the functional relationships between organs, enhancing microcirculation, and addressing the root causes of degenerative vascular change.

Sinead Dee 7/8/25 Sinead Dee 7/8/25

Inflammaging: Chronic Inflammation, Tissue Breakdown, and the TCM Perspective

Inflammaging is more than a theory—it's increasingly recognised as a driver of degenerative and inflammatory changes in older patients. Here’s how Traditional Chinese Medicine interprets and addresses these changes using targeted, clinically applicable strategies.