Lower Inflammation that Causes Back Pain
Shared by Dr. Bryan Stephens
If you have read any of our previous posts, then I am sure you have heard that the pain we experience is caused by inflammation in our body. When inflammation reaches above the threshold of our nerves, pain signals are sent to our brain and we experience the pain. Our focus when getting patients out of pain is to return the inflammation to healthy and normal levels instead of the increased amounts that lead to the pain and degeneration we often see in the office. Adjustments and physical therapy address the physical aspect of stress and inflammation; meditation, journaling, and prayer can address the stress management aspect of inflammation; our diet and nutrition address the third cause of inflammation.
When looking at diet and nutrition, the first step if making sure we have the proper amounts of essential nutrients, or nutrients we can’t make in proper quantities on our own. This is why we stress the importance of Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin D3 with Vitamin A, and probiotics. The next step is in making sure we have a good foundation with our overall vegetables and fruits. This is where certain foods can also give boosts to different areas of our health. Garlic is a prime example of this. Garlic has been linked to many health benefits including helping the immune system, lowering total cholesterol, and reducing high blood pressure. Another plus to adding garlic to your diet is that it can help lower inflammation through the body. For those interested in the actual mechanism, the diallyl disulfide in garlic acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the proinflammatory cytokines in our body.
Essentially, keep a well-rounded diet to keep your body healthy. I mention the health benefits of garlic not so you hone in on the garlic alone, but hopefully start to realize the necessity of keeping up with all the foundations of a good diet. If vitamins and minerals are excluded for too long, it affects the allostatic load placed on the body which can cause pain and dysfunction. So, do yourself a favor and focus on single ingredient, whole-food meals to lower the nutritional stress on the body and keep the inflammation in its place.
Reference
Locatelli DA, Nazareno MA, Fusari CM, Camargo AB. Cooked garlic and antioxidant activity: Correlation with organosulfur compound composition. Food Chem. 2017 Apr 1;220:219-224. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.10.001. Epub 2016 Oct 4. PMID: 27855892.
One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 medium cloves garlic, sliced, divided
- 4 cups small broccoli florets
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-30 count)
2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
Directions
Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add half the garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add broccoli, bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice and adding 1 tablespoon water if the pot is too dry, until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Step 2
Increase heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add the remaining garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the broccoli mixture to the pot along with lemon juice and stir to combine.
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our Chiropractors located in McKinney , near the corner of Eldorado Pkwy. and Stonebridge Dr., will teach you what the research says about how and why we should eat a better diet, move more and have more positive thoughts.