When it comes to fighting inflammation and the body’s pain response rather than first reaching into your medicine cabinet there may be a more natural option.
“Let food be thy medicine” – Hippocrates
It has been long known that natural foods have healing properties. When studying nutrition and health the correlation becomes easy to see that every fruit, vegetable, herb, root, plant, and nut all have associated benefits on the health of the eater. Much of medicine, in fact, is based originally on plants and herbs.
While we agree that many of today’s modern medications do work very well to help alleviate pain and quell the inflammatory response, the problem is that when taken over time or in excess they all have potentially negative side effects.
NSAID’s (Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Naproxen, Celecoxib) can come with unwanted indigestion, headache, drowsiness, dizziness, and stomach ulcers
Steroids –can bring on weight gain, mood issues, blurred vision, low immunity, and hunger.
Opioids – narcotic-based pain relievers that work very well but also have side effects as well as a high rate of addiction.
Muscle Relaxers- often accompanied by dry mouth, depression, low blood pressure, fatigue, and a feeling of sedation.
Topical treatments – are absorbed transdermally and tend to have a lower risk of side effects but they also are only minimally useful and restricted to the area of application.
So, what do you do if you are experiencing symptoms and do not want to use pharmaceuticals?
We have some natural options for you to try.
- Omega-3s – Found in cold water fish (halibut, herring, mackerel, salmon and sardines), walnuts, almonds, cashews, sweet potatoes, flax seeds, tofu, and soybeans as well as strawberries, cherries, oranges, blueberries, carrots, leafy greens.
- Limit nightshade vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants.
- Stop eating processed sugars
- Limit refined carbohydrates
- Limit eggs in the diet – Consuming eggs regularly can lead to an increased amount of swelling and joint pain. The yolks contain arachidonic acid, which helps trigger inflammation. Eggs also contain saturated fat which can also induce joint pain.
- Use spices and oils – garlic, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, and rosemary
- Take a good probiotic supplement or eat some yogurt with active cultures.
- Take Bromelain or eat some pineapple daily
- Get a good night’s rest!
- Reduce stress
- Exercise and get movement daily
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Stretch and consider taking yoga
- Walk – your body needs movement
- Get adjusted by your chiropractor regularly
- Massage therapy does wonders to increase mobility, circulation, and lymphatic flow, and help you to remain healthy.
OTC and prescription medications work great in a pinch and are perfectly fine to use on occasion but if you are looking for a real long-term solution, gradually implementing some of the above into your daily life can do your body a world of good.
If you are in the Fort Myers, Florida area and are experiencing inflammation and or pain, come see us. We work with patients on every aspect of health. We can create a customized program suited just for you to get you feeling your very best.
Visit www.kasterchiropractic.com to learn more. Give us a call at 239-332-2555 to schedule!