How nutrition can contribute to your pain management

How nutrition can contribute to your pain management

The use of nutrition to combat pain has been part of the recommendation of the medical community for many years. A good nutrition plan, combined with an exercise program, can help reduce pain, improve mobility and joint functions.

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Weight management is often the goal of developing a good nutrition plan for people suffering from arthritis, painful knees (or other) joints and inflammations associated with the skeletal structure of the body.

Research at Johns Hopkins University has shown that dietary intake of soy is effective in controlling pain management for people with long-term and painful diseases. So far, the examinations have only been in experimental animals, but the result was that rats fed a diet with soy meal had less swelling in a damaged part of their body.

The protein in soya seems to have properties that offer painkillers anti-inflammatory benefits. More research needs to be done to determine how much soy a person should ingest in order to achieve the same results as the laboratory animals.

Scientific studies are now being conducted to determine whether changes in diet, plus dietary supplements that may help with certain medical conditions. After a suitable program has been identified, a nutritionist can implement a diet designed to improve health and alleviate pain.

One of the main benefits of dietary supplements and a diet rich in beneficial nutrients has helped some people suffering from pain to gradually reduce their intake of prescription drugs and/or undergo unnecessary surgery.

Most of us do not get the vitamins and minerals we need in a normal modern diet, so dietary supplements are required. For those of us who suffer from chronic pain, dietary supplements can also be effective in alleviating the pain and improving the mobility of joints.

Dietary supplements such as flaxseed (in oil, liquid or ground form), curcumin (a natural anti-inflammatory) and vitamin B12 appear to be successful in dealing with pain. Athletes, the elderly and people who have suffered from fractures and painful diseases can all benefit from positive nutritional changes and dietary supplements.

If you suffer from chronic pain, examine your options to see what is available and effective for your type of pain.