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

The Link Between Fibromyalgia and Celiac Disease

Do you have Fibromyalgia? Are you constantly sick and tired all the time? Have you been told to live with it and that there is no cure? Could you actually have Celiac Disease and it has been undiagnosed? Is there a possibility you could find a solution to all your health problems that is a simple as a change in diet?

Fibromyalgia is a complex pain syndrome, with a multitude of different symptoms and without a single known cause. There are many symptoms. Here are some of them:

• Increased sensitivity
• Stiffness on Awakening.
• Arthritis like pain, with or without joint involvement
• Fatigue
• Un-refreshed sleep (tired on awakening)
• Sleep Disturbances
• Muscular pain
• Tendon pain
• Hormonal effects
• Headaches and Migraines
• Brain Fog
• Depression
• Exercise Intolerance
• Low immunity/ frequent infections
• Stomach/ Bowel disturbances /Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
• TMJ/ jaw pain.

Many people tend to have Fibromyalgia as a co-existing condition along with another disease. The most common of these is Rheumatoid Arthritis, but it can also exist with Lupus, or Psoriasis. However is also possible for it to exist as a stand alone disease. There is however another possibility that has been overlooked and that is the incidence of Celiac Disease that is being misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia.

Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease that is, the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues seeing them as a foreign substance. When a person with Celiac Disease eats any food containing gluten (the protein found in Wheat, Rye, Oats and Barley), the body reacts to those proteins found in the gluten and attacks the small finger like projections in the small intestine called villi, thus preventing absorption of food. This leads to major digestive disorders, stomach ailments, fatigue, anemia, headaches, exhaustion, and pain and fatigue.

At least 1 in 100 people have Celiac Disease but it is often missed. It is not commonly something that is checked for when someone has all the fibromyalgia symptoms, but it is worth ruling out and investigating. It is diagnosed by a blood test and by a biopsy of the small intestine during a gastroscopy. The simple treatment of it is a completely Gluten free diet.

Most often people with Fibromyalgia have digestive disorder complaints, most commonly they are told that it is caused by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The symptoms of this are alternating diarrhea and constipation, nausea, bloating and wind and constant fatigue. Well unsurprisingly this is also the exact symptoms of Celiac Disease! How many doctors have checked their Fibromyalgia patients for Celiac. I know I wasn't.

Since following a Gluten free diet all my symptoms of Fibromyalgia and IBS have disappeared! I am however not advocating that all Fibromyalgia is caused by Celiac Disease, but don't you think it's worth your health to rule it out.

After being sick and misdiagnosed for over 20 years, Yael finally found the cause of her constant pain, anemia, fatigue, fibromyalgia and digestive problems. When she was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease everything changed. She was able to start her life again. There is not nearly enough awareness about this disease.By Yael Goodman

Leg Cramps - How to Prevent Them?

It is a fact that leg cramps can cause excruciating pain when they suddenly strike person mostly while exercising. Leg cramps can also occur at night, causing a disruption in sleep. Medical research has still not revealed why certain people alone are susceptible to leg cramps. But the general findings are that those suffering from diabetes and blood circulatory disorders are more prone to develop leg cramps. It is also believed that persons leading sedate lives free from all physical activities as well as those who over-indulge in rigorous physical work-outs like jogging can fall an easy prey to cramps.

If you are not already aware, please know that cramps suddenly occur when certain muscles contract suddenly. The saving grace is most leg cramps do not last beyond a minute or two. Quite often, some minor changes in your water consumption, loss of excess weight loss or readjustments of daily work-outs can reduce the frequency of leg cramp occurrences.

Some suggestions to avoid developing leg cramps are:

1. Avoid wearing footwear with high heels

2. Make sure you do not put on excess weight and if you are already obese, take some quick steps to shed the excess kilos.

3. Avoid frequent consumption of diuretics or other medications

4. Stretch your calf muscles a couple of times, particularly before retiring to bed at nights and after any rigorous physical work-outs.

5. Always sleep on your sides or on your stomach with your feet hanging out at the end of the bed.

6. Make it a habit to consume plenty of water both before and during any physical exercise.

7. Sometimes leg cramps can happen due to potassium deficiency in your system. If that be so, you should consume potassium-rich foods after checking with your physician.

8. Avoid intensive workouts that overly strain the calf muscles and reorient your regular exercises in consultation with an expert.

9. Do some calf muscle exercises like flexing your foot, pointing your toes towards your knees. If you find that inconvenient, you might as well hold your toes and pull them toward your knee and thereafter massage your calf gently.

10. Wear good quality, tested athletic shoes that give you the necessary support when you are running, walking, jogging or doing other exercises. Make sure that your shoes do not put excess strain on any part of your legs, back or feet.

Once you are attacked with leg cramps, application of ice packs or heat bags can be an effective way to relax the muscles. Traditionally, quinine is considered the most effective drug for relieving leg cramps, but it is said that most of the over-the-counter medicines for leg cramps have been banned as they cause serious and even fatal, side effects.

Some doctors suggest drinking a glass of tonic water may be useful and if you think it works, you might as well keep some tonic water handy.

It will be a good idea to take a warm shower just before retiring to bed at nights as it will surely help relax your muscles. If your cramps cause unbearable pain and occurs far too frequently, then it is advisable to consult your physician regarding muscle relaxing medications.

The secret to a healthy and fit body includes a healthy diet menu planner and weight loss meal plans that helps in keeping us in good shape. The biggest loser training program varies from individual to individual and helps in attaining the target.

The secret to a healthy and fit body includes healthy diet menu planner and slim fast diet foods that helps in keeping us in good shape.The biggest loser training program varies from individual to individual and helps in attaining their target.By Ashton Smith

Weird Symptoms of Fibromyalgia to Watch Out For!

Although you may not be aware of it, most everyone knows someone who suffers with fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia generally don't go around shouting about their condition from the rooftops. It's not fashionable or fun, and it hurts like the devil! And there are approximately 5 million of them in America today... about 90% of them are women!

Unfortunately, if you don't have the symptoms of fibromyalgia... and you are very fortunate if you don't... it's really hard to relate to someone who has all the weird and seemingly disconnected conditions that come with the illness. And some of the weirdest symptoms can have the most devastating effect on a fibromyalgia sufferer's life... mostly because they go unrecognized as symptoms and are often not addressed or treated.

Fibromyalgia patients, who are under the care of a rheumatologist, are provided with medications to manage their symptoms. That's one way the common symptoms of fibromyalgia, like the pain, can be kept under control. However, it's not unusual for individuals with the illness to keep quiet about their condition or even lie to their family, friends, co-workers, and bosses ... to avoid appearing as "weak" or "a chronic complainer". As a fibromyalgia "victim" myself, I can tell you that I kept my mouth shut, especially at work, so that I wouldn't lose opportunities on my job. I just worked through the pain and misery.

People who understand the syndrome are aware of the fatigue and severe pain that are the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia. These are usually theindicators used by doctors when diagnosing the illness. But, what is not commonly known, is that many fibromyalgia sufferers:

1) Have difficulty focusing, unexplained vision changes, and visual blind spots

2) Frequently have gastrointestinal issues including abdominal cramping, bloating, reflux, intestinal gas, frequent constipation and/or diarrhea, and even nausea and vomiting

3) Are hypersensitive to odors, bright lights, and loud noises; have alcohol intolerance; and sensitivities to various medications and foods

4) Have vivid or disturbing dreams and nightmares, sleep difficulties including inability to stay asleep; or even hypersomnia --- which is excessive sleeping

5) Appear to be clumsy --- walking and accidentally bumping into things, knocking things over; have trouble judging distances --- like when reaching for things or driving a car; have occasional balance difficulties, and may experience vertigo/dizziness

6) Have difficulty finding the right words to express themselves and remembering names or recognizing faces; have difficulty following directions, and frequently lose their train of thought; are easily distracted and may have long and/or short-term memory loss

Can you imagine waking up one morning and not being able to remember your boss' last name... or your best friend's phone number?... Or has this already happened to you?

These are examples of only a few of the weird and seemingly unrelated symptoms of fibromyalgia, and sufferers and their doctors will tell you... every case is different. Some individuals have severe gastrointestinal problems and trouble sleeping as their primary complaints along with the common symptoms of pain and fatigue, while others can't tolerate strong smells and may have vision problems and difficulty focusing. In all cases, fibromyalgia sufferers have multiple symptoms, some of which may never have been recognized as part of their fibromyalgia condition.

So... Is There Any Treatment That Can Help Me With All My Weird Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

The simple answer is "yes!" Improving your overall health is the key! Many of the symptoms accompanying fibromyalgia's pain and fatigue, like overall weakness, headaches and migraines, gastrointestinal distress, sleep issues, and even depression, can be reduced or eliminated by improving your diet! Begin with a heart-smart diet with low sugar, low fat... and add fruits, vegetables and whole grain. Avoid drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages. Maintain a healthy weight and avoid allergy-causing foods. And... include an adequate supply of lean, digestible protein to repair the body at the cellular level. It's widely accepted that a good diet complete with vitamins, minerals and amino acids --- protein's building blocks which support the muscles, nerves and brain, may help you to take control the symptoms of fibromyalgia... and your life.

By Carol Ryland