Can Exercise and Diets Help with Long-Term Pain?

Special Contribution by Jane Rodgers, Freelance Writer

Relieving Chronic Pain With Diet And Exercise

Yoga has been found to reduce chronic back pain by 42% and functional disability by 29%. It has also been linked to improvements with fibromyalgia and psychological illnesses that are often associated with chronic pain. Chronic pain can be caused by an infection, injuries, illnesses and unknown causes. While there are many medications for pain relief, many aren’t effective enough for chronic pain or people prefer the natural approach. Therefore, alternative methods, such as diet, exercise and acupuncture, are often sought out to use in conjunction with medication or in place of them.

The Three Types Of Chronic Pain

43% of the UK population report chronic pain, which is around 28 million people. Chronic pain usually lasts for at least 12 weeks, but can often be lifelong. There are three types of chronic pain: neuropathic, nociceptive and viscera. Neuropathic pain is caused by nerve damage and is often chronic, frequently affecting the elderly and people with diabetes. Treatment for this type of pain is often trial and error as what will work best depends on the person and the nerves that are affected. Some types of neuropathy can be treated with food and diet, such as diabetic neuropathy and neuropathy caused by vitamin deficiencies or hormonal changes. Nociceptive pain is caused by wounds, injuries or certain aggressive diseases, such as a broken bone causing long-term pain after healing or sharp pain from damaged muscles or ligaments. Viscera pain comes from the internal organs. The brain cannot pinpoint which organ is sending pain signals, so viscera pain can be difficult to find the source.

Eat To Beat Pain

The power of food should not be underrated when it comes to their medicinal uses. Ginger is often used to relieve nausea, but it’s also been found to fight inflammation, which often causes pain. Ginger is easy to consume by adding to curries, stir fry’s and cookies. Another accessible pain reliever is caffeine, which has been found to alter the perception of pain. Around 100 mg of caffeine, or a cup of coffee, is enough to have this effect, but caffeine can also be found in tea, some sodas and chocolate. Olive oil has been studied because it’s a common ingredient in Mediterranean food where there are less health conditions that relate to inflammation or degenerative joint diseases. Olive oil has been found to be a good anti-inflammatory and possibly has similar compounds to ibuprofen, making it a good natural pain reliever that can easily be used in cooking and as salad dressings.

Do Yoga To Fight Fibromyalgia

Chronic pain can deter people from exercising as it can simply feel too much or too painful. However, exercising can help with chronic pain, especially light exercises that include stretching and strengthening the body. Yoga, combined with meditation, is linked to reducing stress and anxiety but has also been shown to be a great pain reliever too. Yoga is particularly useful for people with conditions like fibromyalgia as stress is a trigger for pain. Fibromyalgia is pain in the fiber of muscles, and yoga will lengthen out the muscles and strengthen them, reducing fibromyalgia’s affect. Yoga has also been found to benefit those with lower back pain, arthritis, migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome.

Massage Therapy And Acupuncture

According to YouGov, 60% of people in the UK believe that acupuncture is effective for treating chronic pain and 52% believe in should be offered for free on the NHS. It’s believed that acupuncture eases pain as it affects neurotransmitters, hormone levels or the immune system, all of which can cause or contribute to chronic pain. Acupuncture costs around £50 per session and is recommended once a week to begin with. Massage treatments have also been found to be effective as it’s believed the body releases natural painkillers, such as serotonin, during and after the massage. One study into massage therapy for people with osteoarthritis in their knees found that people had improvements with pain, stiffness and physical function and were able to walk faster.

When undertaking any new method to relieve your pain it’s important to do so within your body’s limits. New exercise should be done at a pace comfortable for you and with trained instructors who can ensure you do movements correctly to reduce injuries and flare ups. Many people find they get relief from chronic pain when combining multiple treatments.