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The Connection Between Diet and Chronic Pain Management

At Macomb Pain Management, we strive to provide our patients with knowledge and tools to make their pain management treatments as effective as possible. Many of our patients are surprised to hear that there is a strong connection between diet and chronic pain, with some foods helping with chronic pain, others worsening chronic pain, and others slowing treatment progress. By learning what foods can help with pain management and what foods to avoid, you can work to continue to reduce your pain at home with every meal. Let’s take a closer look at what foods to incorporate into your diet and what foods to avoid as a chronic pain patient.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods and Their Benefits for Chronic Pain Patients

Chronic pain and inflammation go hand in hand with conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and peripheral neuropathy. Chronic pain treatment plans often work to reduce inflammation, and a diet rich in foods, nutrients, and minerals that reduce inflammation may help reduce inflammation and pain. Healthy foods that reduce inflammation in the body include:

Food Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids have long been shown to help reduce uncontrolled inflammation in the body and may help to reduce pain levels in chronic pain patients dealing with inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Omega-3 fatty acids are also available in over-the-counter supplements, making it easy to supplement your diet with omega-3 fatty acids.

Spices and Herbs: There are a number of spices and herbs that have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, with turmeric being the most commonly cited anti-inflammatory spice. Turmeric is rich in curcumin, a natural substance that has been shown to lower the levels of enzymes in the body associated with inflammation.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Patients with chronic pain and inflammation can add anti-inflammatory foods to their diet to help reduce their pain levels. Great anti-inflammatory foods include berries, nuts, leafy greens, olive oil, and oatmeal, which can be part of a healthy anti-inflammatory diet.

Foods to Avoid as a Chronic Pain Patient

Just as there are excellent foods that reduce inflammation and help fight chronic pain, there are foods that increase inflammation and chronic pain levels. Chronic pain patients should avoid or limit their intake of foods like:

  • Heavily processed foods
  • High-sugar foods and drinks
  • Red meat
  • Alcohol
  • High sodium foods

Foods like these have been shown to increase pain in chronic pain patients as well as inflammation and should be limited in the diets of chronic pain patients.

Meal Planning Tips

While changing your diet can be hard, meal planning and prepping can be a great way to incorporate healthy, pain-fighting foods and eliminate unhealthy, inflammation-causing foods. Before going to the store, set clear goals for foods and supplements you choose to incorporate into a pain-fighting diet. Lay out your meals for the week ahead of time on a calendar or your phone, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try incorporating different foods into your meal planning to keep yourself from growing tired of eating the same thing every week. If planning your meals out ahead of time seems like too big of a challenge at first, there are a variety of meal planning kits online to choose from that are rich in pain-fighting foods and nutrients.

Take Your Life Back From Chronic Pain At Macomb Pain Management Today

While eating a healthy and balanced diet rich in pain fighting foods is a powerful tool in your fight against chronic pain, our pain management clinic has additional tools to get you the most effective pain relief possible. We take a comprehensive and research-based approach to pain management and are dedicated to helping you meet your pain management goals with a tailored and personalized pain management plan. To learn more about our pain management treatments or schedule an appointment, contact us today at (248)-844-8281.