Banish Lower Back Pain With A Healthy Diet
Is your diet contributing to your lower back pain? It is possible.
Some foods cause and reduce inflammation. As I am sure you know, inflammation can cause back pain.
Changing your diet for the better won’t hurt you any more than you already do. If you don’t address inflammation, it can cause all kinds of problems worse than pain in your lower back.
Target your pain by eating well.
According to Michael Perry, MD, chief medical director and co-founder of Laser Spine Institute, sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet is essential to managing back pain.
Eat Vegetables and Fish
Eating a mostly plant-based diet will help you win the fight against inflammation. Fruits and vegetables with a dark hue are potent killers of inflammation, such as broccoli, kale, spinach, sprouts, onions, cherries, grapes, beets, and carrots.
Don’t forget to add flaxseed and chia seeds, as well as fish rich in omega 3s such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, black cod, tuna, and trout.
Utilize Spices
Be generous with spices such as basil, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, garlic, cumin, onions, oregano, and turmeric.
All these spices contain compounds that calm inflammation as effectively as NSAIDs such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Drink Tea
Tea has been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Green tea especially is so strong that in a study it was reported to make cancer cells commit suicide. So after a meal, drink green tea, black tea, or oolong tea.
Use Healthy Oils
Studies show olive oil to reduce inflammation in cartilage in the spinal column.
Researchers found a previously unknown ingredient in freshly pressed, extra virgin olive oils that act like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. This enzyme is called oleocanthal.
A daily dose of olive oil works as a natural pain reliever.
Go Nuts For Nuts
Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, and Brazil nuts have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids that help relieve stiffness, soothe pain and swelling of the joints.
Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids relieve pain not only in your lower back region.
Since we cannot produce omega 3s, we have to take it from our diets.
Mind Your Calcium and Vitamin D
Another way to avoid back pain is to make sure you’re getting enough of calcium and vitamin D.
Vitamin D strengthens your bones and teeth by helping your body absorb calcium. If you get too little vitamin D, you may develop brittle bones.
It gets harder to maintain bone mass as you age, which may lead to diseases that weaken your spine. Calcium contributes to bone mass.
Natural sources of calcium are yogurt, milk, and cheese, and leafy green vegetables. And vitamin D is something you get from exposing yourself to sunlight.
Ask your chiropractor how much vitamin D you need for optimal bone health and how best to make sure you get the amount that you need.
Foods That Contribute To Lower Back Pain
Processed foods and fast food cause inflammation in your body. You have to understand that these serve as fuel to inflammation. Such examples of which are:
- White bread
- Pasta
- White Rice
- Colas and sodas
- Fried foods
- Fatty food
- Junk food
- Sugary foods
- Packaged Chips
- Alcohol
- Pork and Beef
Ask Your Chiropractor For Nutrition and Dietary Advice
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ (NBCE) Practice Analysis of Chiropractic 2015 states that 97 % of DCs make nutrition a standard part of a treatment plan for patients.
Many chiropractors incorporate the use of dietary supplements in their treatment plan. So the next time you visit your chiropractor, make sure to ask for nutritional and supplemental advice.
Dietary supplements are natural products and are the most common complementary health approach in the United States, according to the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
If your chiropractor does not dispense nutrition and dietary advice, it’s best to look for another spine doctor.
Your chiropractor should treat you holistically, meaning not only treat your symptoms, but get to the root of what’s causing your pain and help you avoid it via a healthy diet, the use of supplements, and regular exercise, etc.
Central to the chiropractic practice is the belief that the body can heal itself through its natural recuperative powers so long as you are in good health.