Food Groups to Avoid While Experiencing Severe Back and Neck Pain

During my tenure at Soft Touch Chiropractic in Porter Ranch, CA, I noticed the speed with which my patients recover from pain depends on whether or not they follow my post-care recommendations at home. Those who follow my recommendations recover faster and their results last longer. One of the top recommendations I make is to stay away from anything that causes inflammation.

Animal Fat
Meat, especially processed or salted meat, causes a great deal of inflammation. Remember these products can hide in dishes like pasta, pizza and stews. Products like deli meat, salami, pepperoni, sausage, prosciutto and canned meat can keep a person in prolonged pain.  Undigested meat can remain trapped inside the villi of the small intestine anywhere from 72 hours to 1 year.  When it ferments, it causes severe acidity and inflammation. Our bodies react by producing antibodies which cause allergies and greater inflammation.

If you need to find an alternative, you can eat a plant-based product such as Impossible Meat.

Dairy Products
Cheese, yogurt, milk and milk products have the same effect as meat. Dairy contains casein protein which is also a source of inflammation. Instead, you can find cheese products made out of almond, coconut, cashew or rice. Coconut yogurt is just as tasty as cow milk yogurt. It is surprising how similar the taste of these alternative products is to dairy.

Sugar, Corn Syrup and Sugar-Filled Products
We’re all too familiar with cookies, candy, muffins, pastries and the like. However, sugar can hide in other products like ketchup, canned food, sports beverages and of course soda.

Sugar can overwhelm the nerve cells. Imagine standing next to a loudspeaker. Even if you like to listen to music, when it is too loud, it’s no longer enjoyable and you might lose your hearing. Glucose molecules play the same role in the nerve cells. The cells like the sugar but too much of it is like the loud music and over time the nerve cells get irritated and die. Thankfully we have billions of them, however, when you have severe musculoskeletal pain your nerves are under great attack and irritation already and you don’t want to stimulate your nervous system with sugar.

Also stay away from sugar substitutes such as xylitol or aspartame. Instead, I recommend you use stevia or coconut sugar.

Alcohol
This category includes: wine, beer, hard liquor and spirits, as well as over the counter medications which contain alcohol. Even the slightest hint of alcohol can bring back the inflammation which you are trying to get rid of.

If you are currently experiencing back pain, and have not seen a chiropractor, it would be in your best interest to stop eating these inflammatory foods and make an appointment to see your local chiropractor.

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