Joint pain, most commonly the result of arthritis, affects more than 54.4 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Joint pain can range in severity from mild to excruciating, and may cause a number of associated symptoms including:

Joint swelling and inflammation
Redness in the affected area
Tenderness in the joint capsule and surrounding muscles
Warmth in affected joint
Reduced range of motion
Stiffness, soreness, and weakness
Limited mobility and use of joints

As your chiropractor in San Diego, we treat both acute and chronic joint pain conditions by getting to the root cause of the pain to treat and relieve discomfort. While our chiropractic care can be incredibly beneficial to our patients suffering from joint pain, maintaining a nutritious diet can reduce your joint pain and associated symptoms. The foods you eat can either contribute to the inflammation, or reduce it. Below are the top five inflammatory foods to steer clear of if you suffer from joint pain, different types of arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions.

Saturated Fats
Saturated fat, often considered an “in-between” fat on the good/bad fats scale, is one of the most common ingredients in some of your favorite foods including cheese, pizza, red meat, whole-milk dairy products, and a whole swath of packaged foods. Unfortunately, saturated fats can trigger inflammation in the fat tissue (adipose) which contributes to joint pain.

Trans Fats
Trans fats are found in fast foods like burgers, french fries, pizza, and all of those other delicious and greasy drive-thru meals everyone craves now and then. They are also commonly found in processed foods, frozen foods, hydrogenated oils, and baked sweets like cookies, donuts, and other tempting treats. While food manufacturers have cut down on trans fats in their products, they still remain a common threat. Eating trans fats is a major no-no for anyone suffering from joint pain.

Refined and Simple Sugars
Fruit juices, sugary sports drinks, sodas, energy drinks, and all your favorite treats containing sugar should be avoided. Sugar is a stimulant that causes the body to release cytokines, or inflammatory messengers, in the peripheral and central nervous system. Be aware of foods that contain sugar, fructose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, which are all names for different types of sugars.

Refined Carbohydrates
Ah, carbs. While tasty and highly satisfying, refined carbohydrates stimulate inflammation and are one of the main culprits to blame for obesity and diabetes that can contribute to chronic joint pain. Try to avoid foods made with white flour such as white rice, bread (sigh), crackers, white potatoes (including french fries, tater tots, chips, and instant potatoes), along with cereals, granola bars, and pasta.

Oils and Fried Foods
Even though vegetable oil might sound healthy, it’s not. While vegetable oil contains omega-6 fatty acids that the body needs some of, getting too much can upset the body’s balance of omega-3s and omega-6s. Therefore, eating fried foods like chicken, potatoes, and all the other fried favorites you’ll find at the Fair are off limits if you suffer from joint pain. Just say “no” to those chicken fried spam fries.

Join us next time as we look at five more inflammatory foods to avoid if you suffer from joint pain. If you are looking for natural pain relief to treat your joint pain, don’t just search “chiropractor near me in San Diego.” Rather, come and see us for chiropractic care at Blakely Chiropractic. We offer effective and affordable chiropractic treatments and massage therapy for the whole family. Call your friendly San Diego chiropractor today to get long-lasting pain relief for your joints.

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