Spine and Back Pain and Depression and Cognition Helped by Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Inflammation is effective and normal…in certain circumstances like defending a part of the body that is injured or infected. Inflammation is detrimental...like when it persists too long. Inflammation is a cellular level event and may contribute to a variety of chronic diseases: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, lung, mental, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and more. (1) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn strives to reduce inflammation’s effect on the health of our Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic patients dealing with issues like back pain, headache/migraine, depression and even cognitive issues associated with Alzheimer’s. An anti-inflammatory diet has a role in this effort.

INFLAMMATION LINKED TO BACK PAIN, DEPRESSION, ALZHEIMER’S…

A systematic review and meta-analysis of existing medical studies regarding the role of inflammation and depression reported that a pro-inflammatory diet was associated with a greater risk of depression symptoms and diagnosis compared to those who chose an anti-inflammatory diet. (2) Another study recommended a connection between low back pain and pro-inflammatory diets as well. A study of 7346 people revealed that those reporting the highest inflammatory diet had higher risk of saying they have low back pain, too. (3) Links between diet, nutrition and Alzheimer’s disease have been described. The good news is that nutrition was described as being able to modulate the immune system and even alter the neuroinflammatory processes related to Alzheimer’s and age-related cognition issues. (4) These descriptions demonstrate just how extensive inflammation can be.

…EVEN MIGRAINE

Migraine as primary headache is estimated to impact 14.4% of people and rated as the biggest contributor to disability in people over 50 years of age. Migraine is studied a great deal as to what its mechanism is but still remains a bit of a mystery. Researchers summarized that many factors play a role: vascular function, trigeminovascular pathway activation, pro-inflammatory and oxidative stats may contribute to migraine pain. Studies related to the role of dietary interventions are not many, but a recent data search found that Ketogenic diet, modified Atkins diets, and low glycemic diets may better mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, reduce CGRP (calcitonin gene related peptide) level, balance serotonin, and subdue neuroinflammation. Through inflammation and irregular hypothalamic function, obesity and headaches (including migraines) may be linked. The inflammatory link came out in the published papers. Dietary interventions like the intake of essential fatty acids (decreasing omega-6 and boosting omega-3 which were documented to affect inflammation) were discussed as helpful. (5) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn understands the power diet and nutrition may have in disease issues like migraine, back pain, depression, and cognition.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET

Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn also knows many of us do not like the word diet. It often brings to mind what we can’t eat. A good diet allows a lot of good food though. Basic guidelines for an anti-inflammatory diet design include eating eggs, coffee, tea, fish, lean meat, legumes, vegetables, honey and plain dairy like milk, yogurt, hard cheeses, kefir with limited consumption of red meat and other dairy and sugar while staying away from canned/processed food, sweetened drinks, and alcohol. (6) We are confident our chiropractic patients can handle this kind of diet!

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares how inflammation and the immune system work and how chiropractic care and the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management may be beneficial.       

Schedule your next Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic visit with Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn. If inflammation has hung around past its good and normal welcome, we can set up a path toward a better anti-inflammatory diet.