Diet for back/spine health

spaceylou

Recently had a flare up of an old back injury that had me away from running (which I love) for a few weeks. Got the all clear from physio this morning to start again and I now also have a new core regime to help prevent further injury or flare up. I was asking about other things I can be doing generally for good back health and one of the things my physio mentioned was the impact of diet but she felt not expert enough in dietary area to give advice which is far enough. So thought I would start my 'research' here.

My current diet is fairly healthy I think, drink about 2 litres of water a day (1.5 - 2.5 depending on heat, exercise, etc); limit coffee to 1 - 2 cups a day and don't drink a lot of alcohol - glass or two of wine with dinner at the weekend, maybe a beer or two of an evening in the pub, again mostly weekend.

Food wise - typically breakfast is either porridge with fruit and depending on how I've cooked it with yogurt or milk; or homemade granola with yogurt; or at weekends might have eggs or oat pancakes.

Lunches tend to be either soup with crackers and fruit or salad with crackers and fruit. I try to have either egg or fish with salad. Obviously the odd time I end up grabbing a filled roll from the shop but that might be once a month.

I like variety so dinners tend to be diverse but typically will eat vegetarian once a week and fish once or twice a week. 95 % of time cook from scratch, lots of veg, chicken/pork/beef and either rice, pasta, potatoes or sweet potatoes. Sauce wise - I prefer light flavours and wouldn't tend to have much in the way of creamy sauces or similar. Curries and the like I make from the beginning - no jars.

Snacks - regularly usually stuff like fruit; handful of nuts; corncakes with nut butter; granola with yogurt; granola bars and the like. Sometimes cake at work when its someones birthday...although I have gotten better about not having too much of this.

So essentially I am wondering is there anything I am missing from the above that would be considered good for back health? If possible I prefer to get everything from food rather than supplements.

Apologies for the long post, but figured that if I didn't include diet, it would be the first question people asked. Thanks for reading

Wanderer78

spaceylou wrote: »

Recently had a flare up of an old back injury that had me away from running (which I love) for a few weeks. Got the all clear from physio this morning to start again and I now also have a new core regime to help prevent further injury or flare up. I was asking about other things I can be doing generally for good back health and one of the things my physio mentioned was the impact of diet but she felt not expert enough in dietary area to give advice which is far enough. So thought I would start my 'research' here.

My current diet is fairly healthy I think, drink about 2 litres of water a day (1.5 - 2.5 depending on heat, exercise, etc); limit coffee to 1 - 2 cups a day and don't drink a lot of alcohol - glass or two of wine with dinner at the weekend, maybe a beer or two of an evening in the pub, again mostly weekend.

Food wise - typically breakfast is either porridge with fruit and depending on how I've cooked it with yogurt or milk; or homemade granola with yogurt; or at weekends might have eggs or oat pancakes.

Lunches tend to be either soup with crackers and fruit or salad with crackers and fruit. I try to have either egg or fish with salad. Obviously the odd time I end up grabbing a filled roll from the shop but that might be once a month.

I like variety so dinners tend to be diverse but typically will eat vegetarian once a week and fish once or twice a week. 95 % of time cook from scratch, lots of veg, chicken/pork/beef and either rice, pasta, potatoes or sweet potatoes. Sauce wise - I prefer light flavours and wouldn't tend to have much in the way of creamy sauces or similar. Curries and the like I make from the beginning - no jars.

Snacks - regularly usually stuff like fruit; handful of nuts; corncakes with nut butter; granola with yogurt; granola bars and the like. Sometimes cake at work when its someones birthday...although I have gotten better about not having too much of this.

So essentially I am wondering is there anything I am missing from the above that would be considered good for back health? If possible I prefer to get everything from food rather than supplements.

Apologies for the long post, but figured that if I didn't include diet, it would be the first question people asked. Thanks for reading

have you checked out foam rolling? might help

easygoing1982

spaceylou wrote: »

Recently had a flare up of an old back injury that had me away from running (which I love) for a few weeks. Got the all clear from physio this morning to start again and I now also have a new core regime to help prevent further injury or flare up. I was asking about other things I can be doing generally for good back health and one of the things my physio mentioned was the impact of diet but she felt not expert enough in dietary area to give advice which is far enough. So thought I would start my 'research' here.

My current diet is fairly healthy I think, drink about 2 litres of water a day (1.5 - 2.5 depending on heat, exercise, etc); limit coffee to 1 - 2 cups a day and don't drink a lot of alcohol - glass or two of wine with dinner at the weekend, maybe a beer or two of an evening in the pub, again mostly weekend.

Food wise - typically breakfast is either porridge with fruit and depending on how I've cooked it with yogurt or milk; or homemade granola with yogurt; or at weekends might have eggs or oat pancakes.

Lunches tend to be either soup with crackers and fruit or salad with crackers and fruit. I try to have either egg or fish with salad. Obviously the odd time I end up grabbing a filled roll from the shop but that might be once a month.

I like variety so dinners tend to be diverse but typically will eat vegetarian once a week and fish once or twice a week. 95 % of time cook from scratch, lots of veg, chicken/pork/beef and either rice, pasta, potatoes or sweet potatoes. Sauce wise - I prefer light flavours and wouldn't tend to have much in the way of creamy sauces or similar. Curries and the like I make from the beginning - no jars.

Snacks - regularly usually stuff like fruit; handful of nuts; corncakes with nut butter; granola with yogurt; granola bars and the like. Sometimes cake at work when its someones birthday...although I have gotten better about not having too much of this.

So essentially I am wondering is there anything I am missing from the above that would be considered good for back health? If possible I prefer to get everything from food rather than supplements.

Apologies for the long post, but figured that if I didn't include diet, it would be the first question people asked. Thanks for reading

I don't understand how you feel a diet can do any good or bad for your back.
There's the obvious ones for the heart etc but back

The only way i can see a diet being of any benefit is if your carrying a bit of weight you should lose some which obviously would help your back

Bungy Girl

Hi Spaceylou!
Maybe just check that you are getting sufficient calcium and Vitamin D in your diet - very important for bone health. Many nutritionists recommend a Vitamin D supplement especially during the winter months.

padraig_f

Not an expert, but would suggest anti-inflammatories, so reduce sugar where you can, increase fish-oils. Here are some more:

14 Foods That Fight Inflammation

Inflammatory Foods: 9 Of The Worst Picks For Inflammation

spaceylou

Thanks for the replies so far:

Wanderer78 wrote: »

have you checked out foam rolling? might help

Yes I do this regularly(ish)

easygoing1982 wrote: »

I don't understand how you feel a diet can do any good or bad for your back.
There's the obvious ones for the heart etc but back

The only way i can see a diet being of any benefit is if your carrying a bit of weight you should lose some which obviously would help your back

Regarding weight I am okay and while I am deeply skeptical about any notions that diet can cure anything, I do believe that we can aid/promote or hinder recovery/fitness/physical health by what we eat and drink. And as I said, my physio this morning did suggest looking into it.

Bungy Girl wrote: »

Hi Spaceylou!
Maybe just check that you are getting sufficient calcium and Vitamin D in your diet - very important for bone health. Many nutritionists recommend a Vitamin D supplement especially during the winter months.

Thanks BG, will look into that.

spaceylou

padraig_f wrote: »

Not an expert, but would suggest anti-inflammatories, so reduce sugar where you can, increase fish-oils. Here are some more:

14 Foods That Fight Inflammation

Inflammatory Foods: 9 Of The Worst Picks For Inflammation

Thanks for those Padraig - will check them out. I am already aware that ginger can be helpful for anti-inflammatory but you can only put it in so many dishes, so would be handy to have a few other ideas!

Alf Veedersane

From your OP, it reads as though there is nothing missing from it from a nutritional point of view - there's good variety in terms of fish, meat, veg and the low level of processed foods/sauces. So, from what I can see, there would be a decent nutritional profile.

If your weight is fine and not contributing to the injury, then that's not an issue.

So, if the physio was just suggesting that you make sure to have a diet that includes a variety of micronutrients, then you seem to be on the right track.

spaceylou

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

From your OP, it reads as though there is nothing missing from it from a nutritional point of view - there's good variety in terms of fish, meat, veg and the low level of processed foods/sauces. So, from what I can see, there would be a decent nutritional profile.

If your weight is fine and not contributing to the injury, then that's not an issue.

So, if the physio was just suggesting that you make sure to have a diet that includes a variety of micronutrients, then you seem to be on the right track.

Thanks Alf, I guess I really just want to make sure that I am not missing something that would be fairly easy to include.

Alf Veedersane

As said above, Vitamin D will aid the absorption of calcium, if any of the injury relates to bone health. Vitamiun D has a host of benefits and you won't get enough from food so a supplement will help. Maybe just look at how much calcium you're getting from milk and yoghurt in that regard. MyFitnessPal will help.

But aside from that, the best way to get micronutrients on board is to get a variety unprocessed food in your diet and you do that so I wouldn't have thought that there would be an issue there.


If the physio just threw it out as a kind of "I have no idea about diet and whether it will have an impact but check it anyway" kinda comment, then you should be fine.

If they had something more specific in mind, then it's hard to advise but like I said, you appear to be getting a good variety of unprocessed food so I don't really see any gaps in what you've outlined.

_Brian

I also suffer with serious back issues. My wife (nutritionist) suggested I try a course of MorEPA Omega3.
It has an anti inflammatory effect and at high doses it definitely eases things. But the big downside is cost, MorEPA Omega 3 is costly.

Additionally I was able to stop my blood pressure medication within a few months and have stayed off it.

Deer

The only effect I notice with my back and diet is if I am not getting enough fibre then the bowel ain't happy and if the bowel ain't happy I feel it presses up against my back. Once the fibre situation is sorted then usually the back will feel better.

DarkoT

You can search on google many good exercises for sciatic nerve pain relief. You'll be surprised how much they can help