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• Pain Control
• Anti-inflammatory Diet
• Other Pain Diet

Back pain

Keep salt use to a minimum in food preparation and at the table, consuming only one to two grams daily. If you have more than two cups of coffee per day, use decaffeinated brands.

Vitamin B6 (50-150 mg per day) and powdered ginger (one-half to one teaspoon per day or one to two grams) may prove useful adjuncts for back pain.

Fibromyalgia

Many fibromyalgia symptoms could be explained by a lack of serotonin, a brain chemical that suppresses pain. Serotonin is also essential for regulating moods (which could explain why depression hits about 40 percent of people with fibromyalgia) and plays a role in sleep, which is also often disturbed in fibromyalgia.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates, breads, pasta, potatoes, or fruits, can increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. High carbohydrate foods also increase a second brain chemical, called norepinephrine, which is also important in pain control and in moods. Magnesium, 150 to 300 mg taken twice per day, also has been shown to help fibromyalgia patients.

Migraine

Pain-safe foods

1. Brown rice
2. Cooked or dried fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes (but not citrus fruits, apples, bananas, peaches, or tomatoes)
3. Cooked green, yellow, and orange vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes, tapioca, and taro
4. Water: plain water or carbonated forms, such as Perrier, are fine.
5. Other beverages, even herbal teas, can be triggers.
6. Condiments: modest amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are usually well-tolerated.

Major migraine triggers

1. Dairy products
2. Chocolate
3. Meats
4. Eggs
5. Wheat
6. Citrus fruits
7. Onions
8. Corn
9. Apples
10. Tomatoes
11. Nuts and peanuts
12. Bananas

Try these supplements, in consultation with your doctor:

1. Feverfew: 250 mg per day
2. Magnesium: 400-700 mg per day total
3. Calcium: Reduce calcium losses by avoiding animal protein, caffeine, tobacco, and excess sodium and sugar. Take 1,000-2,000 mg per day of elemental calcium with 200 IU of vitamin D

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