Nutritional Supplementation at Cannon Chiropractic, PLLC

Plate of healthy food

Warning: Consult your doctor before using any health treatment—including herbal supplements and natural remedies—and tell your doctor if you have a serious medical condition or are taking any medications. The information presented here is not intended as a substitute for medical counseling.

Patients suffering from chronic pain, disc issues and sciatica may have specific nutritional deficiencies that can cause or exacerbate the problem and impede healing. A nutritional eating program or supplementation (or both) may improve healing and help provide longer-lasting results. At Cannon Chiropractic, PLLC, nutritional support is part of our overall approach to helping you create optimal health.
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Eat Right for Your Spine

Reducing toxins in your system is the first step. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which are toxins and slow the healing process.

Limit Sugar: Americans consume an average of 100 lbs of sugar each year! High-sugar diets generally lack nutrients needed to prevent the release of chemical irritants in the body. Desserts tend to be high in omega-6 fatty acids, which increase inflammation.
Reduce Stress: Tension also negatively affects your health by triggering the release of stress hormones. It’s important to reduce the toxins you consume, but don’t stop there! Detoxify the rest of your life using simple, effective tools such as yoga, massage and meditation to reset your physical and mental reactions to the stress that daily life brings.

Add Superfoods

You can improve spinal health at the cellular level by eating “superfoods,” such as

Shellfish: crab, shrimp, prawns and oysters
Dark green vegetables: kale, spinach, collards, asparagus
Red fruits and vegetables: red peppers, beets, stewed or fresh tomatoes, dark berries like blueberries and blackberries
Black olives
Red onions and apples
Flaxseeds, chia seeds
Beans: navy beans, kidney beans, soybeans, etc.
Cold water oily fishes: anchovies, herring, sardines, salmon and mackerel
Winter squash
Olive oil
Fruits, nuts, vegetables and grains
Clear water: Keep yourself well-hydrated. Ideally, drink 8 10-ounce cups of clear water per day to give your body the water it needs to rehydrate cells in the healing process.

Foods to Avoid

There are also foods that it’s best to avoid, if you’re looking to optimize your health. Nitrates, sugars and fats can add fuel to the inflammation and pain associated with back pain. In general, it’s a good idea to avoid the following:

Processed foods high in nitrates (hot dogs, sausage, lunch meats)
Foods high in sugar, saturated and trans fats (deserts, cookies, cakes, fast food)
Any foods containing high fructose corn syrup (salad dressing, soda)

Everything you eat or drink affects your health, either positively or negatively. Choosing wisely can help boost your body’s innate healing power.

Woman holding supplements

Nutritional Supplements

It’s not always possible to naturally ingest the quality or quantity of nutrients that your body needs to heal and function optimally from food sources alone. The following are some supplements that we may recommend as part of your overall care plan:Multivitamin/Multimineral

Our foods these days do not have the nutritional value they had generations ago—and many of us don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables anyway—so it is often difficult to ingest all the enzymes, nutrients, vitamins and minerals from food alone. A high-quality multivitamin/multimineral supplement is often recommended as insurance against any deficiencies and provides the necessary nutrients and building blocks to promote or speed up healing.

Omega-3 (Fish Oil) for Joint Health

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in walnuts, canola and soybean oils, and cold-water fish like salmon and tuna. Fish oil supplements are also a good source of omega-3s, which is a fat that plays a vital role in maintaining healthy cells throughout the body, including the joints. They also encourage the production of chemicals that help control inflammation in the joints, bloodstream, and tissues.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D may be a helpful dietary supplement for your lower back pain. According to the Spine Universe website, if you experience chronic musculoskeletal pain, including lower back pain, you may have insufficient levels of vitamin D. When your vitamin D levels are restored through supplementation, your pain may significantly decrease. Before taking vitamin D supplements for your lower back pain, talk with your doctor about possible side effects and proper dosage.

Bromelain: a Natural Anti-inflammatory

When taken on an empty stomach, the enzyme bromelain, found in the pineapple plant, acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and may lessen arthritis joint pain and swelling, and improve mobility. Before you take bromelain, however, check your allergies. Reactions may occur in people allergic to pineapples, latex, and honeybees, as well as birch, cypress, and grass pollen.

Devil’s Claw: Herbal Relief

Devil’s claw is a traditional South African herbal medicine used to relieve joint pain, inflammation, back pain, and headache. Although more research is needed, there is scientific evidence that devil’s claw may help reduce osteoarthritis joint pain as effectively as anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. In one study, 227 people with low back pain, or knee or hip osteoarthritis were treated with devil’s claw extract. After eight weeks, over half reported improvements in joint pain, mobility, and flexibility.

Willow Bark

Willow bark may be effective for treating your lower back pain. According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), willow bark, also known as white willow or Salix alba, contains salicin, which is the phytotherapeutic precursor of acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin.

This herbal preparation has been used to treat many health complaints, including fever, headaches, inflammation, influenza, muscle pain and weight loss. It acts as an anti-inflammatory by blocking potentially inflammatory prostaglandins. White willow bark should not be used if you have a bleeding disorder or with blood-thinning medications. Before taking willow bark for your lower back pain, talk with your doctor about possible side effects and proper dosage.

Turmeric for Joint Pain and Stiffness

The turmeric plant grows in India and Indonesia, and its roots (when ground) serve as the basis for curry seasoning. One of the many active ingredients in turmeric is curcumin; it is used in traditional Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine to treat arthritis. The claims are that turmeric reduces arthritis joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness related to arthritis.

Several studies have shown that turmeric works as an anti-inflammatory and that it modifies the immune system. In a 2006 study, turmeric was more effective at preventing arthritis joint inflammation as opposed to reducing inflammation.

A study in 2009 compared extracts of turmeric with extracts of a related plant species, cucurma domestica, containing the same medicinal chemicals as regular turmeric. Researchers found that it worked as well at relieving symptoms of arthritis as 800 milligrams of ibuprofen daily. But definitive studies in humans are lacking, so the benefit of turmeric on arthritis is unclear.

People on blood thinners should use caution when taking turmeric as animal studies indicate it may increase the risk of bleeding. It may also cause stomach ache.

Drink Plenty of Water

Daily water intake should be 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of your body weight. So if a patient weighs 200 lbs, then they should consume 100 ounces of water per day.
The human body is more than 70% water. Water is needed in the function, repair, and growth of all avascular white tissues, including ligaments, cartilages, joints and spinal discs ¹.
Most patients with musculoskeletal problems are already dehydrated, and patients who age more rapidly than their years are often found to have a body composed of 50% water instead of the 70% ².
Water and Your Discs: There is no direct blood supply to the discs. At 12 to 14 years of age, the spinal discs’ blood nutrition supply and waste elimination system atrophies. ^4,5 The intake of at least 64 ounces of water (or half the person’s body weight in ounces) is essential for nutrition delivery and waste elimination for spinal discs, ligaments, joints, and all body functions to perform at an optimal level. ^1,6
Each spinal disc nucleus contains 88% water. ^4,7 75% of a person’s body weight is supported by the discs in the low back. If these discs lose water, they will lose height, which will subsequently shift the weight load from the discs to the posterior joints, ultimately leading to degenerative changes and bone spurring in the spinal canal.

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References
1 Balch PA, Balch JF. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd edition. 2002 Avery New York
2 Broody TA. Alkalinize or Die. 1995 Portal Books California
6 Markoff KL, Morris JM: The structural components of the intervertebral disc. J Bone and Joint Surgery 1974; 56:141-154
7 Saulter F, Oglive-Harris D: Healing in inter-articular fractures and continuous passive motion 1994

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