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Do you want to know how you can get rid of chronic pain without using any medications? Do you want to know how you can manage and banish chronic pain safely and effectively? Well, to be quite honest about it, all you need to do is to change the way you eat. It is really that simple!
Recent studies indicate that the Mediterranean diet can help you manage chronic pain quite effectively. In fact, according to Jessica Crandall, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Chicago, Illinois, a diet that contains sufficient amounts of antioxidants and omega-3 essential fatty acids can significantly reduce the level of inflammation in the body. Just imagine having the power to minimize pain without needing to take any medications at all. Doesn’t that quite sound interesting?
A More In-Depth Look at Chronic Pain: Understanding the Condition
Chronic pain is usually defined as a type of pain that usually lasts for more than six (6) months. Chronic pain may vary in intensity so it is not unusual that people find it to be anywhere between mild to totally excruciating. The pain associated with such a condition can also be described as aching, burning, shooting or electrical.
Chronic pain may be triggered by an initial trauma such as a sprain, an injury or an infection. It is also possible that there is an ongoing cause of pain. In some cases, however, chronic pain persists despite the absence of any previous body injuries or damage.
Chronic pain may take on a variety of forms. Some of the most common forms of chronic pain include backaches, sinus pain, joint pains, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. It may also stem from arthritis and/or cancer pain and from neurogenic (resulting from the damage of the peripheral nerves and/or the central nervous system) and psychogenic (resulting from past diseases and/or damage to the nervous system) pain as well.
Chronic pain does not only cause physical pain. It can even take an emotional toll on a person. It is not uncommon for a person who is suffering from such a condition to experience anxiety, stress, depression and fatigue.
There are a lot of treatments available for managing chronic pain. You may be prescribed to take medications, undergo local electrical stimulation, brain stimulation or surgery to ease the pain. If you choose to use alternative treatments, you may opt to use acupuncture, biofeedback, behavior modification, relaxation and meditation therapies and psychotherapy to treat your symptoms.
The Mediterranean Diet Can Help You Manage Chronic Pain
According to a report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2006, your food choices can help determine the level of inflammation in your body. People who consume large amounts of refined carbohydrates, sugar, saturated fats and trans-fats, especially if they do not include enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and omega-3 fatty acids in their diet are more at risk of experiencing chronic pain. On the other hand, those who adhere to the dietary guidelines of the Mediterranean diet generally have lower levels of inflammation in their bodies.
Additional Tips to Help You Manage Chronic Pain
Here are some things that you may find useful in reducing your risk of experiencing chronic pain:
- Shift to whole grains. By using whole grains in preparing your dishes, you get enough fiber (to help you manage your weight more effectively) and magnesium (a nutrient that can help prevent muscle pain).
- Add enough omega-3 food sources into your diet. Research proves that foods rich in omega-3 can effectively reduce arthritic pain.
- Use olive oil judiciously. Olive oil contains polyphenols that can effectively inhibit a certain pain-causing mechanism in the body.
- Eat pomegranates and cherries. These fruits can help reduce muscle soreness resulting from intense physical activities.
Without a doubt, the Mediterranean diet can help you fight chronic pain. There are still a lot of natural painkillers out there that we haven’t discussed yet so keep watching this space for more!
Start fighting chronic pain with the Mediterranean diet today,
Ray Baker