Top Tips For Healing
Pain is the top reason that people seek the help of a physical therapist. Regardless of where you are experiencing pain, here are some tips to help your body fast track healing naturally. These lifestyle changes can be made by everyone and are easy to implement.
Sleep
Getting a proper night sleep can help your body reset and heal from within. While we sleep, our bodies are busy at work reducing inflammation, restoring tissue and organ function. Poor sleep hygiene has been linked to mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Research has consistently shown that lack of sleep leads to fatigue, anxiety, lack of concentration, and irregular eating habits to name but a few.
Try a Mediterranean Diet
Recent research has shown that eating a diet mainly of fresh, plant-based ingredients and seafood can help reduce inflammation and muscle related pain. The review (referenced below) analyzed 32 research articles on plant based diets like the Mediterranean, vegan and vegetarian diets. The Mediterranean diet was found to be effective in reducing pain and helping to manage inflammation which is the driver of many chronic conditions like arthritis.
A Mediterranean diet is packed full of antioxidant rich foods including leafy green, fresh vegetable, and Omega 3’s. Anti-oxidants have been found to protect tissues from damage and reduce oxidative stress. Essential nutrients like alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, hydroxytyrosol, and omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in this cuisine, contribute to its pain-relieving effects.
Stress Management
Stress causes a physical change within our bodies, leading to higher inflammatory markers, called cytokines. Cytokines travel throughout the blood stream into every area of our body. The presence of cytokines cause an inflammatory response impacting the rate of healing, sleep quality and overall well-being.
Managing various levels of stress can reduce the impact it plays in our lives. This can be as simple as talk therapy, exercise, relaxation techniques, meditation, art therapy, and many more.
Keep Your Body Moving
Our bodies need movement in order to maintain our health. This is important even when we are experiencing pain. Something as brief as a ten or fifteen minute daily walk helps and is a great start when you are just getting into (or getting back into) a better fitness regime. Light exercise has been known to improve our cardiovascular system, reduce depression and stress and reduce inflammation. Check out this link for four classic movement vital signs that you can use to get a general sense of your health. For individuals that experience chronic debilitating pain there are programs available that focus on mindful movement with modifications to accommodate injury or chronic conditions like fibromyalgia. We recommend reaching out to a physical therapist to help for these specific exercise programs.
