If the old adage is true, that you are what you eat, what are you right now? What if you knew that the things you put in your mouth are causing the aches and pains you are experiencing? Fortunately, changing your diet is one of the fastest ways to find relief and a physical therapist can help. Call our office today for a free consultation and find out how a physical therapist can help you relieve your aches and pains by helping you change what you eat. Here’s what you should know in the meantime.
Inflammation is the Enemy
When it comes to aches, pains and stiffness, the root cause is often inflammation. As the muscle or joint becomes inflamed, it puts pressure on surrounding tissues and nerves, causing discomfort. In a young, healthy person, inflammation in short bursts is the immune response to injury or illness. As the immune system declines, chronic, malfunctioning inflammation can cause aches, pains, stiffness, osteoarthritis, and a host of other medical conditions.
Your Diet Can Cause or Fight Inflammation
Studies have shown that diets rich in whole foods such as vegetables, lean proteins, fruit and whole grains, and low in red meat, dairy, processed foods, trans fats and sugar have the same health benefits as taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). In other words, eating a diet that includes chicken, fish, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains can reduce inflammation throughout the body and relieve aches and pains. Over time, this type of diet can also reduce your risk of heart disease by 25 percent and help you lose excess weight.
Better Diet -> Permanent Weight Loss
While your diet can have a direct impact on your aches and pains, the weight loss you experience over time can help you stay pain free for good. For every pound of fat you lose, you reduce the pressure on your knees by 4 pounds. And that is just one joint in your body that benefits from weight loss. You don’t need to lose a large amount of weight to feel a difference. Even a 10 pound weight loss can dramatically affect how your feet, knees and hips feel. Best of all, when you make permanent changes to your diet, you are increasing the likelihood of keeping off any excess weight for good.
Get Expert Help
Finding a diet that reduces your aches and pains is not as easy as it may seem. With so much conflicting information about grains, carbs, fats, and protein, you may be more confused than ever before. Fortunately, you don’t have to change your diet alone. Your physical therapist can help. As a specialist in movement, they are skilled at crafting both an exercise program for pain free movement and a diet to help you achieve your goals. Best of all, physical therapy can help you cut through the misinformation and get to the science behind diet and exercise. Call our office today for a free consultation and start using what you eat to become a better you.
