Can Food Allergies Be The Cause Of Your Chronic Muscle And Joint Pain?

When it comes to back pain, there are dozens of causes. Your chances of getting an accurate diagnosis increase when you are informed of all possible causes. One often-overlooked cause of chronic muscle and joint pain is diet.
Allergies and Pain
A food allergy is present when your immune system perceives a component of the food, usually the protein, as a threat and attacks it with the inflammatory response. Allergies differ from intolerances, which are digestive rather than immunological reactions.
Histamine is an inflammatory substance released during an allergic reaction. The inflammatory response attempts to block off threats from the rest of the body, kill the threat and promote healing. In the case of an allergic reaction, however, the inflammation caused by histamine is excessive and attacks the body itself. Any of the body's muscles and joints can become inflamed during an allergic reaction, resulting in pain and soreness.
If you have a food allergy you're unaware of, you may be in a state of chronic reaction. This can be the source of your chronic muscle and/or joint pain.
How To Identify And Rule Out Allergies
Of course, there are many other causes of muscle and joint pain. If you have chronic muscle or joint soreness that is not attributable to repetitive use, overexertion or poor posture, diet could be a factor.
Arthritis is a main cause of joint pain, and many forms of arthritis involve joint inflammation. Diet may not be the sole cause of arthritic joint pain, but identifying any food source that may increase inflammation in your body can help relieve pain.

One simple way to identify if you have a food allergy is to participate in the "elimination diet," which requires removing the suspected food from your diet for a week. If symptoms reside, you likely found the food you're allergic to. This can be confirmed by reintroducing the food back into your diet and seeing if symptoms reappear. Keeping a dietary diary is a great way to help you identify food allergies. Keep track of what you eat and the presence and severity of your pain.
Knowing the most common food allergens will help to narrow down your experiment. The most common are milk, egg, soy, wheat, shellfish, seafood, tree nut and peanut allergies. First, identify which of these allergens features prominently in your diet. Check food labels, as many store-bought foods contain soy, tree nuts, wheat and dairy.
Blood tests can be done to identify allergy-related immune substances in your blood. A blood sample is taken and different foods are used to test its reaction in a lab. Blood tests are not always accurate when looking for food allergies, however. Making dietary changes and monitoring their impacts are your best diagnostic tools.
Dietary changes may be the answer to resolving your chronic back pain. Eliminating common allergens from your diet can help resolve inflammation in both muscles and joints.

By Amee LaTour

Are You Willing to Follow Eight Yoga Exercises For the Lower Back?

EXERCISES FOR BACK RELIEF

Many people believe that rest is best for a painful back, but actually, what your back really needs when it's hurt is exercise. Regular exercise relieves back pain by strengthening and stretching the muscles that support the spine and helps to prevent future injury. This is a use it or lose it situation: the more you rest, the weaker your back gets, even if it is hurt. Studies have actually shown that you can heal your back pain faster and get back to your regular activities with just two days of rest. This article will focus on Yoga Exercises. Remember to contact your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

YOGA EXERCISES FOR YOUR BACK

A good, regular yoga practice will go far in relieving the stress and tension that sometimes cause mild back pain, and in fact, studies have shown that yoga is the number one most effective exercise for relieving back pain. However, not all yoga poses relieve back pain, and some can in fact aggravate existing pain, so it is important to know which poses will be most helpful in relieving back pain. It is best to do these exercises under the supervision of a certified yoga instructor, and if you encounter any problems with these poses, you should consult an expert. Even just one or two sessions with a yoga instructor can help, as an instructor will help you with your form and posture during poses. Here are some of the best yoga poses for relieving back pain. Each pose should be held from five to ten seconds, depending upon your level of comfort, and should be done on a mat or other soft, supportive surface.

CORPSE: Lie flat on your back in a relaxed position, arms resting at your sides, palms down, and legs lying naturally, with knees turned out slightly. If it hurts your back to have your knees turned outward, do this pose with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Breathe in and out for a few seconds while allowing any tension to leave the body.

CAT STRETCH: Start out on your hands and knees with a flat back. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with fingers spread. Knees should be directly under the hips. Head is held loosely so that you are looking at the floor between your hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling, tuck your chin in to your chest so that you are looking at your navel, and tuck your tailbone underneath. Hold, then release back into your original position.

WIND-RELEASING POSE: Lie flat on your back as in Corpse pose. As you inhale, bend your knee, place your hands right below the knee, and draw your leg towards your chest. Your left leg should remain flat on the floor. Exhale and bring your forehead up to touch your knee. Inhale, and then as you exhale, return to your original position. Repeat with the other leg.

SAGE TWIST: Warning for this pose-it involves twisting your back, so you should take particular care not to twist too far or you risk aggravating any existing back pain. This should be a gentle stretch; twist just as far as is comfortable. Sit on the floor with both legs out in front of you. Bend your right knee, lift your right leg over your left, and place your right foot on the floor next to your left knee. Sitting with spine straight, place your left elbow on the right side of your right knee. Bend your left arm so that your left fingertips are touching your right hip, while at the same time, twisting to look over your right shoulder. This is where you need to be careful not to twist too far. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat on the opposite side.

PALM TREE: Stand with feet facing forward, arms at your sides, weight distributed evenly on both feet. Raise both arms over your head, interlock your fingers, and turn your hands so that your palms are facing upward. Next, place your palms on your head and turn your head so that you are looking slightly upward. Stretch your arms upwards, and at the same time, come up onto your toes if you can do so without pain. Stretch your entire body upward and hold, if you can. Some people have difficulty balancing during this pose, so just do the stretching part if you need to.

FISH POSE: Lie on your back with knees bent and arms at your side. Arch your back as far as you comfortably can and raise it off the ground by pushing the floor with your elbows. If you can, tilt your head backwards and rest the crown of your head on the floor. Breathe deeply from the diaphragm and hold pose for one minute if you can.

LOCUST: Lie face down with arms at the side, palms down, and elbows slightly bent with fingers pointing towards the feet. Raise your legs and thighs as high off the ground as possible without causing your back any pain. Hold for one second and repeat up to twelve times. This can be a vigorous exercise so you must take care to strain already injured muscles.

BENDING FORWARD POSTURE: Stand up straight with feet together and arms hanging loosely along your sides. Breathe in deeply and raise your arms straight above your head. While breathing out, bend forward and touch your toes if you can. If you can't reach your toes, grab hold of your ankles or calves. To complete the pose, you should touch your head to your knees, but this may be too difficult for many who suffer from lower back pain. Your movements during this pose should be smooth, not jerky.

By Lynn Hits

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