The Truth about Pain
and Your Diet
A simple online search for “pain relieving diet” will result
in listings from hundreds of companies and organizations, claiming to have
cracked the code for a nutritional solution to chronic pain. While this would
certainly be an ideal option for chronic pain sufferers, unfortunately, science
doesn’t back the theory that diet alone can relieve chronic pain symptoms.
Where does this idea
come from?
Part of the support backing diet change for chronic pain
relief is the belief that if you “eat well you’ll feel well.” In addition to
this, many of the foods included in these pain relieving diets contain
nutrients that are said to have natural anti-inflammatory properties. While
these aspects of a healthier diet can help patients in pain, their ability to
do so is limited. Research doesn’t support the idea that diet alone can relive
chronic pain, but a healthy diet can certainly aid in process of finding
relief. As with anyone, the cleaner their diet, the better a pain patient will
feel. That being said, it would only make sense that feeding your body a diet
of nutritious foods during your battle with chronic pain would boost your
overall well-being a bit. However, diet change alone will not relieve the pain.
What are the best
solutions for chronic pain?
The best solution for your chronic pain will depend on the
severity, duration and complexity of your symptoms. Making an appointment with
a skilled pain specialist in your area will yield the best results, as they
will be able to create a treatment plan that is tailored to your unique needs
for pain relief. Once you have received a personalized treatment plan for your
pain, it is important that you follow it carefully to find optimal relief.
Should you still take
diet into consideration?
While diet is not effective as a sole treatment for chronic
pain, it is certainly a great supplement to a larger treatment process. Once
you’ve consulted with a pain physician and developed a treatment program, talk
to your physician about your current diet to see where improvement could be
made. During this visit, you will also want to discuss your options for a safe
and consistent exercise routine. In
summary, although working with a physician to create a complete pain relief
program should be your first step, developing a healthier lifestyle overall
will help you build necessary strength for your fight against chronic pain.
About Dr. Webster
Lynn Webster, MD
is a leading physician and researcher in the pain community. As Medical
Director of CRI Lifetree and President of the American Academy of Pain
Medicine, Dr. Webster dedicates his work to the development of safer and more
effective therapies for chronic pain and addiction prevention. He is best known
for developing the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) and for his public
campaign to reduce overdose deaths from prescription medications.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and
writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.
Celeste Cooper is a retired RN, educator, fibromyalgia
patient, and lead author of the Broken Body Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See
Saw of Chronic Pain devotional series (coauthor, Jeff Miller PhD), and
Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myofascial
Pain: The Mind-Body Connection (coauthor, Jeff Miller PhD) She is a
fibromyalgia expert for Dr. Oz, et al., at Sharecare.com, here, and she advocates for all chronic pain patients
as a participant in the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy, here. You can read more educational
information and about her books on her website, http://TheseThree.com
Posts
1 comment:
Dr. Webster's blog as guest suggests changing our diet will not have much effect on pain its self and I agree there is no cookie cutter answer. If only there was we could throw away our medications, heat pads, ice packs and medical devices. However, like Dr Webster suggests, there are benefits to eating healthy.
There will be tools for determining what is right for you. Certain foods have been linked to migraine for instance, but not all migraine patients are sensitive to the same foods. Just like in all the books I write, the next book, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit series (Spring) there will be tools for determining personal food ogres and I talk about Soy, the good and the bad. Not all soy is created equal. Due diligence is always in order.
Post a Comment