health Matters
by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center
. Chronic Pain: Root Causes and natural support strategies
Part 2
Natural Support Strategies
Now that you understand the potential causes of chronic pain (featured last month), the following are potential ways to improve your chronic pain:
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Plan
A 2020 study published in Nutrients has found that addressing dietary patterns, including food allergies and sensitivities, may help to address chronic pain.
Focus on anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense whole foods, such as greens, vegetables, sprouts, herbs, spices, fermented food, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish, and wild game.
Eat plenty of healthy fats, such as coconut oil, grass-fed butter and ghee, avocados, olives, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Use anti-inflammatory spices, such as turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, and cinnamon.
Remove Food Sensitivities
A 2020 study published in Nutrients has found that removing certain food sensitivities, such as gluten, dairy, or high-histamine foods may be beneficial.
You may benefit from testing for and removing foods that you may be sensitive to. Common food sensitivities include sugar, gluten, eggs, dairy, shellfish, seafood, soy, corn, and legumes. However, you also may be sensitive to some less common items.
There are blood tests used for food sensitivities. However, they only test for certain foods, and false results are not uncommon. You may try muscle testing to test your body’s reaction to any food.
You may want to try an elimination diet. It is the best way to discover your personal food sensitivities.
Remove all common and suspected food sensitivities for four weeks, then introduce them one-by-one back to your diet. Use a food journal to track your body’s reactions.
If you find foods that you are reacting to, remove them right away. You may try to introduce them again to double-check, but if you notice a reaction again, remove them.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a type of eating that cycles between a period of fasting and a period of eating within one day.
The most common form of intermittent fasting includes 16 hours of fasting, including your overnight sleep and eight hours reserved for your meals to meet your nutritional needs.
Intermittent fasting may improve autophagy, insulin sensitivity, digestion, inflammation, and other factors of health. It may help to reduce chronic pain.
A 2020 study published in Nutrients found that intermittent fasting is one of the dietary strategies that may help to reduce chronic pain.
A 2019 study published in Cell found that intermittent fasting may reduce inflammation and symptoms of inflammatory diseases.
If you are new to intermittent fasting, begin with a 12-hour fast, including your overnight sleep, starting after dinner until the next day at breakfast. Gradually increase your fasting window by delaying breakfast and/or choosing an earlier dinner.
Most people feel the best with the 16:8 approach, but you may find that fasting for a bit less or longer than 16 hours works better for you.
Reduce Stress and Prioritize Good Sleep
Chronic stress and poor sleep may increase the risk and symptoms of chronic pain.
If you want to improve your chronic pain, addressing stress and sleep are essential.
As much as possible, reduce stressful situations, tasks, and interactions with people that bring you down.
Instead of scrolling the news and social media, choose a specific time during the day to check it and forget about it for the rest of the day.
Choose activities that uplift you and spend time with supportive friends and family. Spend time in nature regularly. Practice prayer, meditation, breathwork, gratitude, guided relaxation, and positive affirmation.
Avoid electronics, sugar, heavy foods, and alcohol in the evening. Engage in relaxing activities before going to bed, including crossword puzzles, coloring, board games, reading, journaling, meditation, and healing baths. Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day.
Support your sleep with a comfortable mattress, pillows, and bedding, calming colors, essential oils, blackout curtains, and a sleep mask.
Regular Movement and Exercise
Exercise may seem counter-productive when you are dealing with chronic pain, but it can be helpful.
A 2017 review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has also found that exercise may help to improve chronic pain in adults.
According to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, practicing yoga twice a week may help to lower chronic pain.
Move your body regularly. Start your day by stretching out your body or doing some yoga, a short walk, or some rebounding. Get up to stretch and shake out your body regularly throughout the day. Take a stroll at a nearby park, take the stairs, play with your kids or pets, and try an impromptu dance session. End your day with some easy stretching.
Try low-impact exercises that strengthen your body, improve balance and flexibility, and calm your mind in the process, such as yoga, Barre, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong. Add some cardio through swimming, biking, hiking, brisk walking, or jogging.
Remove Mold and Improve Air Quality
Chronic mold exposure and mold mycotoxins may increase the risk and symptoms of chronic pain.
Eliminate any moisture leaks. Use a dehumidifier during warmer months and in places with lots of moisture and humidity in the air, such as your bathroom.
Get some indoor plants to improve oxygen in your home.
Remove Gut Infections and
Optimize Stomach Acid Levels
Chronic infections and gut microbiome imbalances may contribute to chronic pain.
Testing and treating gut infections are critical for recovery if you have bloating or other digestion symptoms.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. However, when you are eating meat or any sort of heavier food, you should stop drinking water or other liquids at least 30 minutes before the meal, except if you need to take a supplement with 2 ounces of water.
Holding off water during these meals will reduce any potential dilution of the gastric juices and allow for better digestion.
Drink ginger tea regularly to improve your digestive juices. Lemon water or apple cider vinegar mixed with water may also help to improve stomach acid levels.
Try fermented foods and drinks, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented vegetables, kombucha, coconut kefir, and coconut yogurts to improve your gut health.
Heal the Gut Lining
Leaky gut and gut microbiome imbalance are some of the common culprits behind chronic pain. Improving your gut lining is critical to recover from leaky gut syndrome and restore gut flora balance.
Heal the gut lining and reduce inflammation by removing inflammatory foods, infections, gut stressors and medications that damage the gut lining (including NSAIDs and Opioids).
Support digestive enzymes, stomach acid levels and bile flow.
Re-inoculate the gut with probiotics and prebiotic rich foods to reseed the gut microbiome.
Rebuild the gut lining by using key nutrients such as L-glutamine, aloe vera, licorice root, slippery elm and butyric acid to heal and seal the gut lining.
Rebalance the body with good lifestyle habits to lead an enjoyable and healthy life.
Optimize Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk and symptoms of chronic pain. Optimizing your vitamin D levels is critical.
To improve your vitamin D levels spend time out in the sun and eat vitamin D-rich fatty fish, egg yolks, and beef liver.
Pairing vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 helps improve calcium absorption and inflammation control. This supplement works to support your immune, skin, cardiovascular, and bone health.
You want to test your vitamin D levels at least 1-2 times each year and get your levels between 50-80 ng/ml.
Consider Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids offer anti-inflammatory benefits that may help to lower chronic pain. A 2007 meta-analysis published in Pain has found that omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce inflammatory chronic joint pain.
A 2020 study published in Rheumatology Advances in Practice found that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may help to decrease chronic pain in osteoarthritis.
To optimize your omega-3 levels, consume wild-caught fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts.
Consider Using Proteolytic
Enzymes
Proteolytic enzymes are a group of enzymes that break the long chain-like protein molecules into shorter fragments called peptides, down into their components called amino acids.
According to a 2008 animal study published in the Indian Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, proteolytic enzymes can help to reduce inflammation.
According to a 2016 review of six randomized controlled trials, proteolytic enzymes may be beneficial for knee osteoarthritis pain.
Use Anti-Inflammatory Herbs
Using anti-inflammatory herbs may also help to reduce chronic pain symptoms. Following are some anti-inflammatory herbs that may be helpful:
Turmeric
Curcumin is the active ingredient of one of the most researched anti-inflammatory herbs, turmeric.
According to a 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, turmeric extracts and curcumin may reduce the pain from joint arthritis.
Boswellia
Boswellia is a plant that produces Indian frankincense and offers anti-inflammatory benefits.
A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies found that Boswellia can have anti-inflammatory benefits for chronic joint pain.
Ginger
Ginger is an anti-inflammatory herb from the same family as turmeric.
According to a 2001 study published in Arthritis Rheumatology, ginger has shown positive benefits for chronic knee pain.
A 2015 systematic review published in Nutrition Journal found that ginger offers anti-inflammatory benefits.
CBD Oil
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of the over 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, including hemp and marijuana, or Cannabis sativa.
CBD oil may help to reduce chronic pain and other health issues without experiencing the mind-altering effects of THC or toxicity from pharmaceutical pain medications.
A 2012 study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine has found that CBD oil may help to lower inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
A 2020 review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that CBD oil may be an effective way to reduce chronic pain.
Final Thoughts
Millions of people in the United States are living with some form of chronic pain daily. Chronic pain can seriously interfere with your daily activities, work, studies, family life, social life, and emotional well-being.
If you are struggling with health issues, call the Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center at 240-651-1650 for a free consultation. Dr. Lo uses Nutritional Response Testing® to analyze the body to determine the underlying causes of ill or non-optimum health. The office is located at 7310 Grove Road #107, Frederick, MD. Check out the website at www.doctorlo.com.
