Diet, pain, & healing
Don't Neglect Diet in Search of Pain Relief
Are you popping Tylenol or Advil because of a nagging pain? Has your pain gotten so severe that you are now taking a prescription pain pill? Most people with chronic pain are taking a number of pain pills such as narcotics and anti-inflammatories. While these pills temporarily mask pain, they actually limit the body's ability to repair. Many prescription pain pills have unknown adverse effects and some prescription pills have been pulled from the market in years past after dangerous side effects were discovered.
In search of permanent relief: If you are dealing with chronic pain, you don't want temporary pain relief. You want complete healing! The first step in healing is to realize that popping pain pills can do more harm than good when it comes to healing. The next step is to get under the care of a natural medicine health care provider that can help you get your body in the healing mode, such as Dr. Hauser here at Caring Medical.
Diet for Healing: At Caring Medical, we want people to achieve optimal health. For complete recovery, a person must get their body in the healing mode – and let us tell you this – many people ARE NOT in healing mode! If a person has a lifestyle that is detrimental to their health it has to stop. This means ceasing pain medications, anti-inflammatories and eliminating unhealthy food. Yes, diet plays a huge role in healing chronic pain. In other words, what you subject your body to in regard to food can either prevent or promote tissue healing.
Blood pH: We utilize a simple diagnostic testing procedure known as Diet Typing to determine a person's underlying physiology. A significant number of chronic pain patients have an unbalanced venous blood pH. A person with low venous blood pH has what is termed acid blood. Acid blood is typically dark in color due to low oxygen content. A low oxygen content in the blood compromises healing capabilities. The treatment for acid blood is to consume foods that neutralize the blood pH. This is accomplished by consuming items which are alkaline and by reducing the intake of acidic items, typically the Otter or Lion Diets. Caffeine, sugar, wheat, citrus fruits, soda pop, and potatoes should be avoided, whereas protein and vegetables should be the majority of the meal. People with acid blood are typically carbohydrate addicts and consume very little protein. Protein is needed in the diet because collagen, which makes up ligaments and tendons, is the most abundant protein in the body. A healthy diet with adequate amounts of protein for soft tissue growth is essential for healthy ligament and tendon injuries.
While our chronic pain patients at Caring Medical tend to have acidic blood pH, some have a high venous blood pH, also known as alkaline blood. These patients benefit from a more vegetarian diet, such as the Monkey or Giraffe Diets that will lower blood pH and bring physiological balance.
Blood Sugars: Blood sugars also play a role in healing. Oftentimes chronic pain takes a toll on a person's body leading to fatigue. This fatigue is evident by a flat-line glucose tolerance curve. This type of "flat line" points toward adrenal exhaustion, or hypocortisolism treated with a combination of a high protein /low carbohydrate diet, supplements, and cortisol to help the body with this exhaustion.
Unknown Food Sensitivities: People can go for years with unacknowledged food sensitivities. Some people think that being sensitive to a food means breaking out into hives and ending up in the emergency room. This is more of a "true allergic" reaction. If you have food sensitivities, your body reacts as if it is fighting off an enemy invader. It is the job of our immune system to clear these invaders from the body. Among the symptoms of food sensitivities are inflammation and body aches and pains. Traditionally, these are treated as isolated symptoms and the underlying cause (certain foods) is never discovered. This person will just go on eating the same junky diet and suffering through the same health problems. At Caring Medical we offer blood panels that test the blood against a variety of common food allergens. The results of a test help tailor the person's diet. Unfortunately, food(s), which a person is sensitive to, may happen to be his or her favorite. "I can eat a whole cheese pizza for dinner," says a person with sensitivities to casein (milk products). "I add onions to almost all my cooking," says a person with sensitivities to onions. Best to treat the underlying cause of the problem- avoid the offending food. This type of diet takes maximum dedication, but eliminating allergens from your diet can make astounding improvements in your life, even for people who consider themselves "healthy."
Overall Approach to Healing: Diet is the first step in helping your body reach a healing mode. From there, other measures can be taken such as beginning a supplement regime or trying Prolotherapy for the injury. Our natural medicine and Prolotherapy physician, Dr. Ross Hauser, is able to examine each case on an individual basis to determine the best course of action.
Don't let your life be consumed by taking multiple pills, take action by helping your body reach full healing potential. Call Caring Medical today to learn more about complete healing and pain relief.
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