Does Nutrition Play A Role In Pain Relief?

March is National Nutrition Month, something that is extremely important for chronic pain and pain management. In an early post, we talked a little about how stress and emotional health plays a huge part in your pain management. Nutrition plays a very important role as well, and can affect the ways in which your body reacts to treatment, as well as how your body simply reacts to pain.



While many holistic approaches will stir you towards certain diets in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it has indeed been proven scientifically that many foods do serve medicinal purposes. Eating right can not only keep you healthy, but lower your risk for many illnesses and diseases.



Much like the way that stress affects your body, if you are eating on the run, hitting the fast food stops daily, and finishing off that bag of chips nightly, you are putting yourself at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Every day, scientists are finding new results proving how maintaining a poor diet can put you at great risk for so many ailments.



During National Nutrition Month, it’s important to educate yourself and your family about the importance of eating healthy. Now that the holiday’s have past, winter is on the way out and spring is bringing that wonderful Arizona outdoor weather, it’s time to take a look at your diet. Spring cleaning shouldn’t just apply to the house; it should apply to your fridge as well.



I’m sure you’ve been told to eat your veggies, and you’ve probably passed that knowledge down to your kids. But do you know why you need to eat your veggies? Fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins that our bodies need to function. They’re full of the essentials that help to fight of illnesses and diseases.



An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Well, in reality our bodies need fiber, and a recent University of Illinois study has found that apples have soluble fiber which “reduces the inflammation associated with obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system.”

Ginger is great for the digestive track. Garlic has anti-bacterial properties that resemble weak penicillin. There are so many foods and spices within our reach that have wonderful affects on our bodies and help us to stay healthy.



By that same token, there are also certain foods and spices that we want to avoid, such as too much sugar which inhibit the ability of T-cells to fight infection, potatoes and tomatoes have been known to increase inflammation and increase arthritis pain, and red meat has been known to have similar affects on fibromyalgia.



During National Nutrition Month, do your homework. If you’re having certain digestive reactions after eating certain foods, find out what you might be allergic to and make diet changes. If your chronic back pain, migraines, or fibromyalgia pain tends to get worse after lunch, perhaps there’s something that you’re eating that is having an adverse affect on you.