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Diet and Chronic Pain

May 27, 2015 By Chevron Island Physio

Chronic pain (pain that lasts 6 months or more) can be caused by many things such as autoimmune diseases, overuse injuries and degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. Sometimes it just shows up without any cause or link and other times it is a result of an injury.
People often dismiss diet as being a cause of pain but it can make a big difference!

Pain and inflammation
What does it mean to say that you “feel pain”? What’s going on in your body to produce that sensation? Physically, the sensation is being registered in your nerves, so you’re looking for the reason why the nerves in some area of your body are registering a sensation of pain. We can break it down into two options: either there is a physical reason for the pain, or there isn’t:

• Nociceptive Pain: There Is a Physical Reason. It could be something called “nociceptive” pain –there’s a physical stimulus applied to an area in your body. For example, if you have chronic pain in your knee caused by running then there is a physical reason for the pain: injury to the joint.
• Neuropathic Pain: There Is No (Current) Physical Reason. You can also get “neuropathic pain,” which is when there is no physical stimulus but something has gone wrong in the nervous system, and so the nerves are sending your brain the sensation of pain anyway. Multiple sclerosis is a good example of a disease that can cause neuropathy; as can diabetes, cancer, and several others. Sometimes, pain starts as an actual injury, but for some reason the nervous system continues to send the pain signals even after the original physical damage has surpassed.
The problems underlying these different kinds of pain and the drugs used to treat them raises the possibility that diet could be effective, particularly by reducing inflammation in the body.
In the case of nociceptive pain, inflammation can actually be the physical stimulus that causes the pain. Chronic inflammation in your body can both trigger the nociceptors to feel pain and make them more sensitive to other stimuli. An example of this at work is the soreness in your muscles after a hard workout. The actual reason why you feel pain is that the inflammation in the muscle tissue is affecting your nociceptors. If your body is chronically inflamed for some other reason, it could potentially cause a similar response.
Inflammation is tied up with chronic pain whether the pain comes from another disease (e.g. cancer), mechanical stress (e.g. poor posture, abnormal bone structure, back pain from sitting all day, “runner’s knee”), or whether it doesn’t have any identifiable cause at all.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs are effective for chronic pain, but extensive use may cause problems such as intestinal ulcers or kidney failure down the line. But they do work, suggesting that reducing inflammation is key to reducing pain. There are many foods that cause inflammation in the body and many that provide anti-inflammatory properties. Getting the correct balance can allow you to reduce pain without affecting your other organs by using medication.
This is not to say that all pain can be cured by diet – if you have chronic pain secondary to some other disease, Step 1 is to go to a doctor for that disease. But based on the research above, here’s a list of practical ways that you could use to potentially decrease pain:
• Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Yes to fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, herbs, and tea. Easy on nuts, seeds, and other Omega-6 fats. Inflammation and inflammatory diseases both contribute to chronic pain, and diet has a strong ability to modify the pain-inflammatory response.
• Eat alkalizing foods and avoid acidic foods – include lots of leafy greens, capsicum, lemons and garlic. Avoid excess wheat and other grains, cheese, beans and lentils, meat, coffee and alcohol.
• Live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Ensure you get enough sleep every night, regular but moderate exercise (walking is fine), and reduce stress as much as possible.
• Pay attention to your gut. Leaky gut and other gut problems are inflammatory. Ensure you are getting good bacteria (probiotics, fermented foods) and avoiding anything that causes gas, bloating or nausea.

• Fix your movement: Human bodies were not designed to sit down all day and then run for an hour on a treadmill. When we do that to them, they send us a signal that something is wrong: pain. Look into ways to address posture issues, mobility problems, old repetitive stress injuries, or any other mechanical or movement issues might be behind your pain.
There’s no one “right answer” to chronic pain. There’s no magic pill that will make it go away. But considering what diet can do for pain, an anti-inflammatory, gut-healing diet sounds like a good idea to me!

Book a consultation with Kasey (Nutritionist) if you would like further assistance with a personalised diet plan or more information.
Reference: Paleoleap.com

Filed Under: Nutrition, Physiotherapy Information Tagged With: diet and inflammation, diet chevron island physio, diet gold coast, inflammation, inflammation gold coast, pain, pain and diet, pain chevron island physio, pain gold coast

Is food contributing to your aches and pains?

December 17, 2013 By Chevron Island Physio

inflammationOur bodies depend on temporary inflammation to help fight off sudden injuries or infection. But when that inflammation becomes chronic, “the immune system mistakenly attacks normal cells, and the process that ordinarily heals becomes destructive”. When inflammation as an immune response is never shut off, the constant production of immune cells can do permanent damage, leading to cancer, heart disease, arthritis and Alzheimer’s, among other health concerns such as back pain, headaches and more. The foods we eat – and do not eat – play a large part in how much inflammation is created in our bodies. It’s likely that no one food is to blame for causing inflammation but that your overall diet could contribute. Some of the common inflammatory foods include:
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
The average person gets more omega-6 fatty acids via diet than omega-3s, but this imbalance can lead to inflammation. Our body craves omega 3s which can turn off the inflammatory messengers. To create the correct balance cut back on omega 6 heavy seeds and vegetable oils and add more fatty fish and walnuts etc.
Hydrogenated and trans fats found in margarine, shortening, lard or products made with them. That includes baked goods, cookies, pies, buns.
White sugar including lollies, cakes, soft drinks and sweetened juices. Research is showing that sugar is one of the most addictive substances you can use and is highly inflammatory.
Artificial sweeteners (Nutrasweet, Splenda, saccharin, aspartame, etc.) Research links these nasty substances to many serious health conditions including inflammation.
Food additives: colours, flavour enhancers, stabilizers, preservatives, etc. Unfortunately, many foods consumed by children (and adults!) are loaded with these harmful, toxic ingredients. Avoid as much as possible.
Dairy products (yogurt, ice cream, milk, cheese, etc.). Today’s dairy products are packed with hormones, antibiotics, and other harmful ingredients and have numerous links to inflammation in the body. Use alternatives where possible such as almond milk, coconut yoghurt etc.
Wheat products. Wheat is highly acid-forming and inflammatory in the body. Worse, most wheat available now is genetically-modified (GM). Many serious health conditions are starting to be linked to GM wheat consumption.
Gluten. Gluten is found in most grains and is highly inflammatory. It punches holes in the gut lining allowing nasty bacteria through creating inflammation and often leading to pain and conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. Choose grains or seeds like buckwheat, quinoa, rice or millet instead.
Alcohol. High in sugar and a burden to the liver. Alcohol is naturally irritating to our insides. When too many drinks are consumed bacteria can more easily pass through the intestinal lining leading to irritation and inflammation.
Experiment by eliminating certain foods and notice the difference in how you feel. Each person is different and will have a different reaction to foods. Stick to a diet that is as natural as possible and uses fresh, healthy ingredients.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: aches, back pain, chevron island physio, diet, gluten, headache, health, inflammation, nutrition, weight loss, wheat

Benefits of Regular Massage Therapy Treatments

December 11, 2013 By Chevron Island Physio

massage

Tremendous benefits may be achieved through regular massage therapy treatments from a Registered Massage Therapist. Whether you need to have a moment of relaxation, reduce muscle tension or attain relief from chronic pain, a therapeutic massage can enhance your overall sense of emotional and physical well-being as well as your quality of life.

Massage therapy has a wide range of benefits for the health and wellness of people of all ages, including infants, children, older adults, pregnant women, athletes, office workers, and so on. These benefits are known to include: effective reduction and management of pain, alleviation of depression and anxiety, improved immune function and increase in ‘natural killer cells’, reduction of inflammation, facilitation of weight gain in pre-term infants, improved body awareness and body image, decreased body dissatisfaction in patients with eating disorders, decrease in stress hormones, enhanced healing of burns and scar tissue, improved sleep, reduction of muscle tension, improved joint mobility, improved posture, and improved lymphatic drainage.

Massage therapy can be used in the treatment of both acute and chronic stages of conditions. While massage therapy can benefit the injured, the ill and the stressed, the strength of massage therapy in preventing illness and conditions before they develop should not be overlooked.

Call Chevron Island Physio for more information or to make an appointment

Kelsey Armstrong, RMT

Filed Under: Remedial Massage Tagged With: anxiety, athletes, back pain, inflammation, muscle pain, muscle relief, muscle tension, neck pain, Pregnancy, Remedial Massage Therapy; Massage;depression, stress

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