Internal inflammation can wreak havoc with your health. You may already be seeing a physical therapist for inflammation-related health issues, such as arthritis. Whether you have a specific diagnosis or generalized pain in your back and joints, physical therapy can help. Your physical therapist may also suggest an anti-inflammatory diet for additional pain relief.
These foods in your nutrition plan won’t reduce pain or inflammation
One of the quickest ways to reverse nutrition-based inflammation is to stop eating the foods most associated with it. Unfortunately, for many people, these foods tend to be convenience items. That means that you may need to readjust how you think about preparing meals and snacks in your quest for pain relief.
On the plus side? There are few surprises in the types of foods that make inflammation worse. You probably already know these nutritional “no-nos” — they’re also bad for your heart and your waistline. So, whether your guilty pleasures are savory or sweet, begin to ease them out of your meal plans. Some of these foods to avoid include:
- Prepackaged meals
- Junk foods
- Sugar
- Foods that contain preservatives
- Fried foods
- Red meat
- Processed carbs
Foods that can help reduce pain and inflammation
It’s not too hard to replace foods that won’t reduce pain and inflammation with those that do. Many “bad guys” in the food world have easy alternatives. A few of the alternative food choices you can make include substituting:
- White bread with whole-grain bread
- White rice with brown rice
- Semolina pasta with wheat or garbanzo pasta
- Red meat with fish, chicken and veggie “steaks”
Preparation is also an important component of an anti-inflammatory diet. Avoid frying foods or ordering fried foods when eating out. Instead, opt for the same ingredients that have been grilled, roasted or steamed. Rather than topping main courses and side dishes with creamy sauces and dressings, choose healthier alternatives. Topping options for various salads, side dishes and main courses include vinaigrette, Greek yogurt, tomato salsa, fruit salsa, lemon juice and herbal olive oil.
Border Therapy Services can help you find long-term pain relief
Long-term pain relief can rarely be achieved with diet alone. As important as nutrition is to reducing pain and inflammation, it’s also crucial to consult a health care professional about other ways to gain flexibility and reduce pain. Our Border Therapy Services team can help you find physical therapy and dietary changes to meet these goals with a free screening. We also excel at building personalized therapy plans designed to reduce chronic inflammation and pain.
Think you must have a doctor’s referral for physical therapy? Think again! Our team doesn’t require patients to have a referral before they begin using any of our services. We can even help you get therapy from home with our virtual care and at-home therapy services.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help treat your inflammation and pain or to schedule an initial appointment.