BACK PAIN AND DIET DR DAVID FRIEDMAN N.D.,D.C. AUTHOR, SPEAKER, HEALTH EXPERT & RADIO/TV SHOW HOST Copyright Dr. David Friedman
Dr. David Friedman N.D., D.C. is
For three decades I’ve treated thousands of
fats, high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, and
the author of the award-winning, #1 national best-selling book Food Sanity, How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction. He's a Doctor of Naturopathy, Chiropractic Neurologist, Clinical Nutritionist, Board Certified Alternative Medical Practitioner, and Board Certified in Integrative Medicine. Dr. Friedman is a syndicated television health expert and host of To Your Good Health Radio, which has changed the face of talk radio by incorporating entertainment, shock value, and solutions to everyday health and wellness issues.
patients suffering from back pain, ranging
artificial chemicals. It’s also important to cut
from herniated discs, ligament sprains, muscle
back on processed sugars. According to the
strains, fibromyalgia to arthritis. No matter
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pro-
what type of treatment I perform, whether it’s
cessed sugars trigger the release of inflamma-
spinal manipulation, traction, rehabilitative
tory messengers called cytokines. If you want
exercises, trigger point therapy, or electrical
a safer way to satisfy that sweet tooth, reach
nerve stimulation, if someone is eating an
for healthier natural sugar alternatives like
inflammatory diet, my results are usually fu-
coconut sugar, stevia, monk fruit (aka lo han
tile. One of the biggest underlining culprits of
guo,), or xylitol.
FOODSANITY.COM
back pain is poor nutrition and digestion,
which can lead to chronic inflammation that
Eliminate Dairy
irritates muscles, ligaments, tendons, and/or
Cow’s milk is pub-
nerves. A study in the Spine Journal found that
lic enemy #1.
nearly one-third of women and one-quarter of
Drinking this bovine beverage
Dr David Friedman
men with back pain also had food intolerances
Dr David Friedman Dr David Friedman Drdfriedman
or other gastrointestinal complaints. The Jour-
creates an inflammatory reaction in the intes-
nal of Arthritis published research showing
tines which can spread to your joints and
that eating whole-food, plant-based foods can
back. The primary reason is a protein in cow’s
lead to a significant reduction of pain in as
milk called casein. While casein makes up
early as two weeks.
approximately 20 percent of the protein found
In my book Food Sanity, How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction, I explore all of the basic
food groups and how they contribute to or reduce a person’s inflammation and pain. The top three inflammatory foods to avoid are processed foods, dairy, and beef.
percent, which is far more than humans are designed to break down. Casein is what makes a 100-pound baby calf grow into a 2,000pound cow. The average human baby weighs less than 8 pounds and grows into a 170pound adult. Here’s a common-sense question
Avoid Processed
for you: Would you use rocket fuel in the gas
Foods
tank of your moped? When you put gargantu-
These are foods that come from a bag, box, package, or can. They can contribute to chronic pain and inflammation because they contain inflammatory ingredients like gluten, trans
28 INFLUENTIAL DOCTORS MAGAZINE
in human breast milk, cow’s milk contains 80
www.influentialdoctorsmagazine.com
an-size cow fuel inside a human body, it creates inflammation which can lead to an array of health issues, including back pain! In my office when patients are suffering from severe back pain and spasms (aka Charley horses,) I always ask them how much milk they con-
sume? The reply I usually get is, “I drink it
