Nutrition and Diet for Pain Relief
Pain hurts! Pain can stop you in your tracks, even double you over. Pain can be debilitating, it can make living very hard.
Dealing with chronic or recurring pain can be difficult. Painkillers may lessen the pain, but only temporarily and usually not very much.
Part of the problem includes the muscles near sites of pain. As pain intensifies, the muscles are tightened. The tight muscles can become painful themselves, or they affect other body areas to develop discomfort.
Pain Relief
Mild or temporary pain can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. These analgesics are helpful for these situations, can offer mild relief for more serious pain, but frequently they offer no help in severe or chronic situations.
Prescription pain relievers can be extremely helpful, providing pain relief in even chronic situations. Because of their powerful effects and possible addictive nature, they need to be used cautiously and judiciously. Their side effects, including drowsiness, can make them unacceptable to many people.
Massage of all types is accepted by most physicians as providing some pain relief. The physical manipulation is able to provide temporary relief from the pain and even an easing of intensity over a day or two. Other body work manipulations, including rolfing, may also provide some relief.
Body movement therapies can be quite useful. Yoga is helpful for relieving pain by stretching out tight muscles. T’ai Chi also allows relief by stretching joints and muscles. Simply stretching regularly and exercising can also help reduce and even prevent some forms of pain. Walking is excellent at helping the body reduce muscle tightness.
Acupuncture is well-established as helping reduce pain. Acupressure and reflexology are also good methods to help block pain in specific body areas. Even laughter has been shown to reduce pain. Meditation and hypnosis have also been extensively studied and have shown strong pain relieving benefits.
Inflammation and Pain
A root cause of many types of pain is inflammation in the tissues surrounding the nerves. The swelling is able to ‘pinch’ the nerves, causing a message of pain to be transmitted to the brain. Inflammation may also be more insidious, causing pain due to the production of chemicals at the inflammation site.
Inflammation is often treated by physicians with anti-inflammatory medications. Cortisone shots are often used in joints and muscles to help reduce the inflammation, providing great pain relief.
Stress is an underlying cause of pain. When people are stressed, they produce hormones including Cortisol, which has been shown to create inflammation and muscle tension. If stress is chronic, as it is in most Americans, the pain can become chronic. This serves as part of the basis for a nutritional approach to pain control.
Nutrition and Pain Reduction
Nutritional and dietary approaches to pain control involve several physiological functions in the body: 1. stress reduction; 2. tension relief; 3. hormonal improvement; and 4. inflammation reduction. Foods or herbs that help provide these are useful for preventing pain as well as treating pain. As a precaution, it is best to check with your physician before taking a new supplement. For instance, fish oil should not be taken if you are on a blood thinner without working with your physician.
Fish Oil. Fish oil and other Omega-3 fats cause a significant decrease in their discomfort while taking these supplements. It may take up to three months to become effective. Two or three grams a day will usually show benefits, and the oil will help many other chronic disease states in the body. Fish oil has been extensively studied, and has many positive benefits.
Cod Liver Oil. Much like fish oil, cod liver oil, has the omega-3 benefits lowering inflammation. It also contains Vitamin D and Vitamin A, both of which have been shown to lower the inflammatory response.
Vitamin D. Sunshine or a supplement are able to improve chronic pain situations. Often people with pain do not spend time in the sun, and this increases their pain. Supplements of 800 IU (International Unit) daily are strongly recommended, as most Americans are deficient in Vitamin D.
Turmeric. This yellow to red spice — that is found in Curry and other spice mixes, as well as by itself — has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Eating lots of this spice can benefit in numerous ways, but pain relief may be a very good reason to ‘heat’ up your food.
Devil’s Claw. This root extract relieved severe back pain in 75% of sufferers. Two to four grams per day is recommended.
Nexrutine. This extract from the bark of cork trees has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. May be particularly useful with the inflammatory conditions of rheumatoid arthritis.
Vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables have many phytonutrients which act as anti-inflammatory agents. If a large portion of your diet consists of fresh vegetables, and fruits, your body is able to keep many of the painful conditions under better control.
Weight loss. Both headaches as well as aches and pains in the body (especially joints) were relieved when weight loss occurred. A weight loss of 10-20% showed significant improvements. Pain is more severe in overweight people, and is more intense with extra weight.
Reduce Omega-6 oils. Reduce Omega-6 fatty acids and eat foods high in Omega-3 fats such as flax seed, walnuts and fish. Omega-6 is found in high amounts in corn oil and a number of other vegetable oils. Better choices include olive oil and canola oil for cooking. Peanut oil works well for high temperature frying.
A diet worth trying that might provide relief from arthritis as well as other pains includes vegetables, berries, nuts, lean protein (beans, chicken, turkey, fish), and whole grains (including oats, spelt, millet, quinoa). Use olive oil and canola oil for cooking. Avoid wheat (whether from bread, crackers, muffins, pasta, cereals), dairy, caffeine, white potatoes, sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and processed foods.
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