Back pain — whether from a sports injury, arthritis, a muscle strain, or a herniated disc — is nothing short of exhausting. Back pain can make even everyday tasks hard, but did you know that the foods you eat can influence the level of inflammation in your body and potentially reduce back pain?
In the meantime, learn more about the top anti-inflammatory foods for back pain.
Food isn’t a panacea for back pain, but the right foods can help fight inflammation. Certain nutrients are known to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, including:
The key is to eat various healthy foods that contain these anti-inflammatory nutrients and skip foods that cause inflammation. Processed meat, refined snacks, trans fats, fried foods, and foods with sulfites are some of the worst foods for inflammation.
Now that you know which nutrients you need, let’s talk about the richest foods.
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines — rich in omega-3 fatty acids — help reduce inflammation around your spine and joints. Eating salmon twice a week for 4 weeks could increase your omega-3 fatty acids levels by 50%.
When possible, choose wild-caught fish. Wild-caught salmon provides more iron (1mg versus 0.4 mg) and calcium (39 mg versus 10 mg) than farm-raised salmon.
Turmeric is a perennial rhizome that contains curcumin. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, but it doesn’t just reduce inflammation in your back. According to research published in Drug Design Development and Therapy, curcumin is powerful enough to have an impact on arthritis pain, COVID-related inflammation, psoriasis, depression, and even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Add turmeric to soups, rice, roasted vegetables, or golden milk. Regardless of turmeric use, add a pinch of black pepper to make the curcumin more bioavailable.
Ginger offers similar anti-inflammatory benefits to turmeric. To get more ginger in your diet, use fresh ginger in teas, grate it into stir-fries, or add to curry. You can also take ginger supplements.
There’s a reason green tea is considered one of the healthiest drinks. It contains polyphenols (like epigallocatechin gallate) and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.
Green tea can also help with weight management, which is another strategy to help manage back pain.
Berries contain anthocyanins. These are a type of flavonoid that fight inflammation. While fresh berries aren’t in season right now, you can get the same benefits from frozen berries.
Dark leafy greens are packed with antioxidants and polyphenols. They include spinach, rainbow chard, Swiss chard, kale (all kinds), arugula, spring mix, and mustard greens.
Greens like these also provide magnesium, which is involved in 300+ different functions in your body. It also promotes muscle relaxation and nerve health, both of which can help tame back pain.
Dark leafy greens can be eaten as a big salad or stirred into soups, omelets, or smoothies.
You probably know vitamin C as the immune-boosting vitamin, but it also helps repair damaged tissue and combat inflammation.
You can eat fresh citrus fruit, use its juice in homemade salad dressing, or blend in green smoothies.
Swap out vegetable oils for extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in oleocanthal, a compound with effects similar to anti-inflammatory medications like NSAIDs. Use it as a base for salad dressings or drizzle it over roasted veggies.
Refined grains and processed snacks can trigger inflammation, so as you remove those from your diet, add 100% whole grains. Think barley, rye, whole wheat, and quinoa.
Nuts and seeds also provide omega-3 fatty acids. Choose raw, organic nuts. Read your label carefully to avoid nuts roasted in inflammation-causing oils.
Good options include walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, almonds, and Brazil nuts.
Here at International Spine, Pain & Performance Center, our team adopts a holistic treatment approach to help combat your back pain. What you eat can help you lose weight, reduce inflammation, and improve your athletic performance.
What you eat (and what you don’t eat) is just one piece of the puzzle. In addition to nutritional counseling, your treatment plan may include:
