Diet And Prolotherapy

How diet can alleviate pain and support the benefits of prolotherapy.

By Renata Trister, DO

Moderate exercise is frequently recommended after prolotherapy procedures as it aids in proper healing. Diet can also have an impact on the efficacy of prolotherapy.  An anti-inflammatory diet helps treat chronic pain and recommend for maximizing the benefit of any prolotherapy treatment.

These are some quick ideas:

• Balance your pH. Acidic diets cause inflammation and often pain.  To help regulate your body’s pH levels, doctors recommend drinking a lot of water and eating a diet rich in vegetables and protein. Eating too many carbohydrates and sugar can contribute to high levels of acidity in the body, so be sure to limit your intake of these foods to keep inflammation under control.
• Eat omega-3 rich foods. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to reduce inflammation and contribute to a number of other health benefits like the reduction of bad cholesterol. The best sources for omega-3s are typically fish, seeds and nuts, avocado and olive oil, but you can also take nutritional supplements like flaxseed or fish oil to easily add some omega-3s to your diet.
• Avoid omega-6 rich foods. Foods that contain another kind of fatty acid, omega-6, however can increase inflammation and contribute to chronic joint pain.  Salad dressings, vegetable oils, cured meats, margarine and animal fat, reducing your consumption of omega-6s can help with chronic pain.
• Eat more antioxidants. Antioxidants combat molecules in your body known as free radicals that come from smoke and pollutant inhalation and eating processed or genetically modified food. Free radicals contribute to the body’s degenerative processes, including aging and long-term disease. Antioxidants are found in berries, green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruits.

• Eat less refined foods. In addition to having high levels of sugar, processed foods like soda and prepackaged baked goods can have a negative impact on immune function, which is critical in repairing damage to your body’s tissues. Avoid highly processed and refined foods to avoid their low nutritional value and ensure proper healing and immune function.