If you suffer from an autoimmune disorder, you might also struggle with chronic pain. The two often go hand in hand. While you are busy getting treatment from your doctor, you might also want to try these methods to improve your overall health.
Change Your Diet
Making dietary changes and learning how to create healthy eating habits can go a long way towards improving comfort.
Diets that promote increased intake of fruits and vegetables, and those that minimize dairy, grains, gluten and processed foods for those suffering from an autoimmune disorder can be a very effective tool for managing pain.
Speaking with your doctor or consulting with a nutritionist or other healthcare provider regarding any dietary changes that may be of benefit can allow you to learn a great deal.
You may also want to try some specific diet plans for a short period of time, record your symptoms, and see if you noticed any changes. Some of these diet plans include:
- Autoimmune protocol (AIP)
- Gluten-free
- Low FODMAP
Functional Medicine Testing
Working with a practitioner that can provide testing to help you identify contributing factors to your symptoms can be VERY helpful. You can get tested for food sensitivities, gut infections, imbalanced gut bacteria, mold, fungus or toxicity—all which can be contributors to autoimmune disorders. I like to use Vibrant Wellness Zoomer testing, GI MAP, SIBO, OATS and micronutrient testing to help my clients discover their personal healing opportunities.
Lifestyle Changes
While proper diet and regular exercise are both essential to good health, there are other lifestyle changes that could have a positive impact on symptoms and comfort levels. Good sleeping habits can go a long way towards improving comfort, boosting energy levels and ensuring that efforts to reduce pain and manage symptoms are met with greater success.
Even making an effort to drink more water can be of potential benefit, especially for conditions and medical issues which may be complicated by inadequate hydration. Finding ways to reduce and manage stress levels in order to promote greater relaxation can also be helpful.
Alternative Medicine
There are numerous care providers who may be able to offer a range of services to assist those who suffer from an autoimmune disorder. Chiropractic care can often make a real difference for those who suffer from arthritis or related conditions and treatment options like acupuncture could greatly improve the level of comfort that sufferers will be able to enjoy.
While there are no treatments, alternative or otherwise, that can cure autoimmune disorders, regular visits to a masseuse or herbal remedies could end up being valuable tools for those who are seeking to create and implement a more effective pain-management strategy.
Getting More Physical Activity
You may think that because of your autoimmune disease, you won’t get a lot of exercise, but the opposite is actually true. Staying fit and active is another way that sufferers may be able to minimize flare-ups and ensure that their other efforts to manage and reduce pain are able to be as effective as possible.
Regular exercise can help to alleviate the inflammation which causes pain and the right workout routine can even allow suffers to train their body’s natural pain response in order to further minimize discomfort.
Yoga, swimming and other low-impact workout options can often be ideally suited to those who have medical conditions which may limit range of motion or leave sufferers unable to engage in certain types of activities.
You of course should always listen to your body and not overdo it. If you are having a day with a lot of pain and fatigue, take it easy. But focus more on physical activity when you are having a good day.
