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Chronic pain is often a result of inflammation, and your daily dietary habits such as drinking coffee, eating sugary sweets, or having a few glasses of wine can actually affect your pain levels. The good news is that these things are all under your control, so read up on the following dietary habits to avoid and start living a pain-free life!
Caffeine
One or two cups of coffee and a soda here or there won’t completely wreak havoc on sore backs, but excessive caffeine intake can negatively affect those with chronic pain.Caffeine stresses the adrenal glands, which sit in the area of your lower back over each kidney.
The adrenal glands are responsible for the buzz you feel after consuming caffeine, but excess caffeine intake can weaken both the glands as well as the area around them over time. When adrenal glands are weakened, they pull vital nutrients and energy from the ligaments and tendons surrounding them, causing sore, weak, or even thrown out backs.
Alcohol
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, moderate drinking is defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. If you consume more than a moderate amount of alcohol throughout the week, your chronic pain might be negatively affected. Consuming more than what is considered a moderate amount of drinks might seem like a way to dull pain that you already have, but in doing so, you may accustom your body to the alcohol and develop a greater sensitivity to pain.
An excess of alcohol makes your kidneys work extra hard (they can even feel sore after a night of binge drinking) and puts you at risk for dehydration and the dysfunction of other vital organs.
[Related: Four New Year’s Resolutions to Ease Chronic Pain]
Sugar
Sugar is notoriously one of the hardest things to give up, not only because of the delicious food it’s in, but because of the instant energy it provides and the short-term serotonin flood we refer to as a “sugar rush.” But cutting down on your refined sugar intake could really do your body good, especially if you experience back pain.Sugar increases inflammation, wreaking havoc on your liver and joints, as well as increasing blood sugar levels leading to the infamous post-sugar “crash” we’ve all experienced.
Fast Food
Although inexpensive, quick, and tasty, we all know that fast food isn’t the best type of food to consume for a healthy diet.Fast foods that are high in advanced glycation end products (proteins or lipids coated in sugars) tend to lead to inflammation, breaking down discs that cushion the vertebrae in the spine and causing back pain.
If you’re concerned about how your diet is affecting your chronic pain, consult your doctor or nutritionist and see if going on an elimination diet could be helpful for you. Replacing poor dietary choices with fresh fruits and veggies, stretching and exercising regularly, and visiting your chiropractor consistently can change your life for the better. Visit Spencer Chiropractic Center orcontact us for a consultation today!