A person may experience back pain for many reasons, sometimes due to inflammation. Often back inflammation is from an underlying condition, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or infection. Inflammatory back pain may be chronic and is usually isolated to the lower back, although it may cause tightness throughout the spine. 

In many cases, the foods you eat can significantly impact how you feel. Regarding inflammation, incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods may help reduce some pain and discomfort. 

Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Try

An anti-inflammatory diet includes many fruits and vegetables full of antioxidants. This diet also contains many omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, and lean proteins. Excellent anti-inflammatory foods include:

  • Olive oil
  • Blueberries
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Almonds
  • Strawberries

It’s vital to understand that eating a particular type of food or eating an anti-inflammatory food one time will not decrease your inflammation. To experience the full benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet, you’ll want to incorporate as many of the above foods as possible into every meal. 

Foods to Avoid

While incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can lead to less inflammation, you also want to reduce foods that may cause inflammation. Foods that can lead to inflammation are anything fried or processed, such as fried chicken, French fries, lunch meat, or hot dogs. You’ll also want to avoid refined carbs or foods high in sugar, like white bread, cookies, and chips. 

Limiting foods that may cause inflammation doesn’t mean you can’t ever indulge and treat yourself to these foods, but ensuring they’re not your primary meal source. 

Working with Mocek Spine Clinic 

While an anti-inflammatory diet may help relieve symptoms and reduce pain, you may require additional treatments for a full recovery, depending on your situation. That’s where The Mocek Spine Clinic can help! We offer advanced spinal solutions to help patients return to daily activities quickly and with minimal pain. 

To learn more, you can make an appointment at our clinic or call us at 501.224.4001.