A Healthy Diet Could be the Key to Living a Chronic pain-Free Life.
A healthy diet is an important part of any physical therapy routine. Proper nutrition is crucial, especially if you suffer from chronic inflammation and chronic pain. Eating the right foods can aid your body’s recovery from a variety of painful conditions.
Chronic pain can be minimized by reducing stress, eating healthy meals, and exercising on a regular basis. Do you want to learn more about how to modify your daily routine to improve your pain levels? Contact our office today to schedule a consultation with one of our licensed physical therapists! We can help you return to the life you love.
Is inflammation normal?
If you are experiencing chronic pain in any part of your body, it is safe to assume that inflammation is present. Inflammation is a natural part of the body’s healing process and our immune response to illness or injury. When you have a wound, tissue damage, or an infection in your body, your immune system is activated. As strange as it may sound, an injury cannot heal without inflammation!
However, suppose inflammation persists for an extended period. In that case, it can progress to a chronic condition, in which case you should consult with a physical therapist to discuss treatment options. Your physical therapist will be able to control the problem so that you do not suffer from negative outcomes such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other conditions.
Inflammation is commonly treated by reducing exercise and physical activity and taking medication. However, not getting enough exercise can put you in a worse situation than before the inflammation started.
Medications can also have unfavorable side effects. Your physical therapist will be able to demonstrate simple stretches and exercises for chronic pain relief, as well as teach you about how diet and proper nutrition can benefit you more in the long run.
What does an anti-inflammatory diet look like?
Inflammation does not have to rule your life. One of the most effective measures to fight inflammation? Visiting your local grocery store! Patients report that by eating healthy, anti-inflammatory diets, they were able to successfully reverse their symptoms.
Because the body is busy purifying itself during the inflammation process, eating anti-inflammatory foods that help with toxin removal can help speed up the process! Some suggestions to improve your diet include:
- Avoiding Red Meat: The proteins in red meat make your kidneys work extra hard to process them. If you eat a lot of red meat, this will significantly slow down your healing process! Reduce your consumption of steak, beef, sausage, bacon, and other red meats if you want to reduce inflammation. A single serving of red meat once a week should be your maximum limit. But you don’t have to give up meat entirely; fish and chicken are both suitable for an anti-inflammatory diet! They also go well with vegetables.
- Loading Up On Greens & Veggies: Vegetables are an important part of any healthy diet, but especially an anti-inflammatory one. All vegetables are nutritious, but brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are some of the best choices.
It’s also a good idea to eat at least nine servings of raw vegetables per day. If nine servings of vegetables seems like a lot, don’t worry! To add some variety, you can substitute fruit for some of those servings. Limiting your intake of processed foods will help tremendously with inflammation. - Cutting Back on Dairy & Grains: It’s no surprise that eating a lot of dairy products and grains like pasta and rice can have adverse effects. To strengthen your immune response, avoid simple carbs and sugars as much as possible. That means no pastries, no white bread, and no donuts. This may seem difficult at first, but your body will thank you later!
Whole grains such as barley, oats, wheat, and brown rice can still be a part of a healthy diet. Dairy products should also be limited, so reduce your consumption of cheese and milk. If you’re missing milk in your diet, opt for nut milk like almond or cashew.
Looking for more ways to reduce inflammation? Contact Aspen Rehab today!
After implementing (and staying true to) the dietary recommendations outlined above, you should notice a significant improvement in your chronic pain and inflammation symptoms. Losing excess weight is another great way to combat inflammation, so that will also help.
Include daily exercise in your routine, and set aside time each day to manage your stress. Take your dog for a long walk in the park, join a yoga class, or talk to your physical therapist about proper stretching techniques to reduce inflammation.
If you are experiencing chronic pain and inflammation, please contact us right away. We can arrange for you to meet with a physical therapist to learn more about chronic pain management and how to get back to living a pain-free life!
