As a practicing chiropractor of over 38 years, I have been able to help many patients gain lower back pain relief. I typically use physical mechanical measures such as chiropractic adjustments, pressure point therapy, traction, cryotherapy and other therapies. Patients who have recent, acute lower back pain will usually respond positively with these approaches. These measures will also help most patients with chronic lower back pain. However, patients with chronic back discomfort are always looking to find other means by which they can manage and minimize future back complaints. This article will discuss nutritional tips that anyone can use to help them achieve lower back pain relief.
All the suggestions I will offer are generally safe and effective. However, each individual has specific nutritional needs. I encourage anyone with questions or concerns regarding this topic to seek guidance from an appropriate healthcare specialist.
When it comes to low back pain, reducing inflammation is a top priority. The entirety of the items I will discuss are aimed at lessening inflammation.
The most important nutritional element we can consider in gaining lower back pain relief is our everyday diet. An anti-inflammatory diet as I will propose should be a top priority.
Sugar creates inflammation in our bodies and must be eliminated. Sweets like cookies, candy, donuts, and others must be rejected. If one has an insatiable sweet tooth, I will make a concession that they limit themselves to one small helping of ice cream, a couple cookies or a small piece of cake per week, but no more.
The real key to an anti-inflammatory diet is to reduce the amount of starchy carbs that we eat. These types of carbohydrates would include grains, cereals, pasta and bread. Large amounts of these types of carbs increase inflammation in the body which leads to increased pain. I recommend 200g or less of grains/day. It’s a fairly simple process to read the labels on the food containers to inform you of each products grams per serving. It’s best to stay away from wheat because this particular grain contains gluten for which many people have an inflammatory sensitivity. Rice, potatoes with the skin, and oatmeal are the preferred carbohydrates to consume.
It’s perfectly fine to eat meat, eggs, fish, nuts and grains and olive, coconut, and flaxseed oils. Of course, it’s important to eat plenty of vegetables. I suggest only consuming one serving of fruit per day as fruits contain a degree of sugar.
Another nutritional gem to utilize in reducing lower back formation and pain is to take anti-inflammatory enzymes. If digestive enzymes are taken with a meal, they help to digest food. However, if taken on an empty stomach, enzymes will be absorbed by our digestive tract and go out into the body to break down and reduce chemicals associated with swelling and inflammation. It is important to remember to take the enzymes on an empty stomach.
A third nutritional step to take to reduce inflammation of the lower back and to gain pain relief is to take supplements containing good fats. These are essential fats which our bodies can’t make and must obtain through our diet. Omega-3 is the main fatty acid to be considered. Omega-3 fatty acid is obtained from fish, nuts and seeds, and certain plant oils such as flax and olives. Consuming 2 grams of supplemental fish oil is a good way to obtain a sufficient amount of good fats.
Our fourth step to obtaining nutritional health to reduce lower back inflammation and pain is to have sufficient vitamin D3 levels in our blood. We can have a simple blood test to check the range of vitamin D3. It is helpful to be in the high end of the range. Vitamin D3 can be obtained by getting sufficient sunlight exposure on our skin or through taking a nutritional supplement. There are numerous research studies showing that pain relief through reducing inflammation is a key component of vitamin D3.
Following all or any of these nutritional hints to help reduce and manage chronic lower back pain can have significant benefit. Some of these are quite easy and others may take more self-restraint and discipline. However, the value of a pain-free lower back and the improved lifestyle it affords is well worth the effort.
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Dr. James Schofield 