Healthy Foods and Pain Management

What if you could lower your pain level by eating certain foods and eliminating others from your diet? Not all types of pain will respond to management through diet; however, eating foods that reduce inflammation and eliminating those that contribute to it will have an impact.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

You have probably heard of these healthy foods, since the internet is full of articles about them. Chemicals found in these foods fight inflammation in a variety of ways. For example, oleocanthal is a chemical that works like ibuprofen. This phenolic compound inhibits inflammatory enzymes and shares certain anti-inflammatory characteristics with ibuprofen. Research shows that it reduces inflammatory related disease. Oleocanthal is found in virgin olive oil.

Pineapple has been shown to reduce the pain of knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also reduces pain after dental surgery, and some have found it to help with carpal tunnel symptoms. The bromelain found in pineapple is a protein-digesting enzyme and seems to be responsible for decreased pain levels.

An apple a day may not exactly keep the doctor away; however, the quercetin in apples may keep inflammation down. Quercetin is a flavonoid and anti-inflammatory antioxidant. This antioxidant can also be found in buckwheat, citrus fruits, grapes, berries, cherries, onions, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, black tea and red wine.

Pain Management

Eating a healthy diet full of anti-inflammatory foods will not necessarily cause you to be pain free. It can help to diminish pain levels and help your body’s cells and tissues maintain health. Along with qualified medical care, your pain levels can usually be kept at a minimum if not eliminated altogether.

Anti-inflammatory foods provide the nutrition and raw materials your body needs to be at its best. This provides a firm foundation on which other treatment can build. As a result, healing is increased, pain levels diminish and your body and health providers are better able to work together to bring you back to optimum health.

At Allied Pain & Spine Institute, we provide guidance as well as treatments to help you achieve a better quality of life. Contact us to schedule a consultation appointment and get more information on how you can feel better.

Posted on behalf of Allied Pain & Spine Institute