When people develop chronic back pain, they may first blame poor posture, overuse, or physical injury. While all of these factors can play a part in back pain, it’s also worth considering the ways that nutrition may influence this common problem. To help you avoid chronic pain, here are a few ways that diet may be linked to back problems, and what you can do to address and alleviate the pain.

How Does Nutrition Impact Back Pain?

Weight Gain

When you consume too many calories or eat unhealthy foods, it can be hard to keep off excess weight. Over time, supporting this extra weight will place your bones, joints, and tissues under extreme pressure, which can lead to fatigue, inflammation, and chronic pain.

In general, fresh produce, whole grains, and lean protein are all essential to healthy weight management. However, since every person’s dietary needs can differ, professional nutritional counseling is often the best way to discover which foods your body needs and which ones you should avoid.

Inflammation

Refined carbohydrates, saturated and trans fats, alcohol, gluten, and MSG are among the many foods that can trigger the body’s inflammatory response. When this happens, joints and tissues can swell, making it difficult and painful to move. In some cases, inflammation may become so bad that it presses on sensitive nerves, which causes pain to radiate through the back.

While avoiding these foods is recommended, there are also many items that help fight inflammation. For example, dark leafy greens, fresh fruit, high-fiber grains, nuts, and fatty fish all offer anti-inflammatory benefits.

Bone Strength

In order to build healthy bones, you must consume enough calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Without this nutrition, you run the risk of developing weak bones and joints. When this happens, you face a higher risk of developing chronic conditions that cause back pain, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and degenerative disc disease. 

How Can a Chiropractor Help Address Diet-Related Back Pain?  

Specializing in the treatment of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors are an excellent resource for addressing chronic back pain. Through extensive evaluation, they can pinpoint the source of your symptoms. In many cases, chiropractic adjustment—or gentle joint manipulation—and massages are provided to reduce inflammation and ease pain. However, many chiropractors also offer nutritional counseling to help you develop a diet that supports better health for your entire body.

Committed to taking a holistic approach to health care, Eastern Hills Chiropractic is an exceptional resource for back pain relief in Cincinnati, OH. This chiropractic practice provides in-depth assessments of physical wellness to effectively identify what issues are behind chronic pain, including misaligned joints, pinched nerves, and muscle tension. To help you heal, they'll develop a custom treatment plan, which may include chiropractic adjustment, massage, nutrition services, or other non-invasive treatments. Visit this friendly clinic online to learn more about these services, or call (513) 528-2200 to schedule a convenient consultation.