When you experience lower back pain, you wonder what could have caused it. Did you pick up something heavy with improper posture? Did you sit on your wallet or phone at work? But there’s another question you may not think to ask: do you get enough Vitamin D in your diet?
Although back pain can originate from many sources, your nutritional choices can play a role. In this post, you’ll learn about the connection between nutrition and chiropractic care, what foods can lead to inflammation, and what your chiropractor can do to help you live a healthier, more pain-free life.
Why Does a Chiropractor Care about Nutrition?
Unlike medical specialists, who focus exclusively on a smaller area of symptoms and treatments, chiropractors are considered holistic care providers. This means they study overall wellness in addition to spinal alignment. In their schooling, they learn about nutrition and how it impacts all systems of the body, and they learn how to help patients achieve a healthier lifestyle in general.
A chiropractor specifically deals with many painful conditions involving the spine, nerves, and joints. Often pain in these areas can stem from inflammation, which can have many sources, including the food you eat. As a result, if you ingest foods that are known to cause inflammation, you could aggravate an existing problem or create one.
Vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin D and calcium, are essential if you want to keep bones and tissues strong and healthy.
What Foods Can Cause Inflammation?
Some of the foods that exacerbate inflammation may not come as a surprise to you. Others, however, may! Inflammatory foods and drinks include the following:
- Sugary drinks like soda, tea, and sports drinks.
- Bread, pasta, and other products made with white flour.
- Cakes, cookies, brownies, and other commercial baked goods.
- Deep fried foods.
- Red meat.
- Processed meat like lunchmeat, bacon, and sausage.
When these foods are ingested in excess, organs and soft tissues can become inflamed, causing discomfort or pain in joints and major nerve endings.
How Can a Chiropractor Help with Inflammation?
On top of administering chiropractic care and adjustments, which can significantly reduce pain, your chiropractor is uniquely qualified to offer additional support, namely in nutritional advice. They can help you put together meal plans that exclude inflammatory foods. In rare cases, your chiropractic office may even have a dietician! As a result, one of the potential sources of your pain can be decreased, potentially helping you experience less discomfort in your back, neck, muscles, and joints.
In the end, you may not think to turn to a chiropractor for nutritional guidance, but if it impacts your quality of life, they can provide valuable advice to help you make positive changes, as well as chiropractic adjustments to relieve your pain.
About the Author
Dr. Zinovy Chukhman has dedicated more than 20 years to treating patients experiencing pain. At AlignRight Chiropractic, he is joined by his wife, Janel Kobza-Chukhman, who is a registered dietician. With these professionals as resources, you can manage diet-induced inflammation and enjoy a higher quality of health and wellness. To schedule an appointment with us, contact our office located in Richardson online or call 972-907-2800.
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