Back pain: Check your Vitamin D and magnesium levels if you have chronic back ache
Highlights
- Quit starvation diets if you have chronic back pain
- They lead to muscle loss which puts more pressure on your spine
- This can make back pain more severe
It has been a year since the lockdown was imposed last year and for many of us, things haven't changed so much. Some of us who started working from home last year are still working from home, and this has completely changed our life in many ways. For starters, there are many people now struggling to shed pandemic weight gain. With lesser physical activity and little or no work-life balance, many are still struggling with the likes of midnight munching and the worse of them all- lower back pain.
If you still haven't installed a proper work desk at home, chances are you wake up with a sharp pain in your back every morning. And if this pain has become chronic for you, and affects you nearly every day, then here's something you need to know.
Nutrition hacks to beat chronic back pain
Celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija recently took to Instagram to address the concern of chronic back pain, because let's agree to the fact that back pain affects our day-to-day functioning and definitely deserves more attention.
According to Makhija, stopping to follow any starvation diets- for instance time-restricted eating or diets that require you to eat very less calories-can help in reducing back pain effectively.
Also read: 6 Yoga Poses That Can Help You Get Rid Of That Stubborn Back Pain- Watch Video
1. When you starve it makes you deprive of calories or energy which is required to function effectively. "Starvation causes muscle loss, which in turn puts far more pressure on the spine," says Makhija. More pressure on the spine can thus make back pain even worse.
2. Check your Vitamin D levels. Yes, its about time you got a blood test done for it because Vitamin D deficiency is quite common and is often one of the top most causes of back ache. "25 Hydroxy Vitamin D levels should be between 50 - 60 ng/ml" informs Makhija.
Also read: Boost Your Vitamin D Levels With Regular Exercise, Healthy Diet And Much More: Here Are All The Steps You Need Follow
3. Include around 2 tsp of black sesame seeds in your daily diet. White sesame seeds are hulled and thus can reduce calcium absorption, whereas black sesame seeds are unhulled and can improve calcium absorption in the body and can improve bone health.
4. Magnesium supplement causes smooth muscle relaxation, and thus helps in releasing lower back pain. "Please ask your doctor or nutritionist for brand names of the supplement," recommends Makhija.
5. Take a Boswellia (gond) extract-about 450 mg. It can be helpful for any bone-related aches and pains and is very powerful, she adds.
Be physically active throughout the day and if you are in a desk job, either sit on the floor to work or invest in a work desk so that your spine is straight and back pain is lesser.
Also read: Upper Back Pain Giving You A Hard Time? Follow These Expert Recommended Tips For Relief
(Pooja Makhija is a nutritionist, dietitian and author)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.