Nutrition for Decreased Inflammation in the Personal Injury Case
FEATURE
Todd Singleton, DC
According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, each year there are 5.25 million driving accidents. Chiropractors are uniquely positioned to help patients who have been in auto accidents. It’s more commonplace each year for people in auto accidents to seek chiropractic care.
It’s become so mainstream that a law firm in Sacramento, California1 specializing in auto accidents has this phrase on their website, “Delay in seeing a doctor or chiropractor puts your health at risk... ”
Before opening my own practice, I worked as an associate in a clinic with a high percentage of personal injury clients. When I opened my own practice, I started treating a lot of personal injury patients. Because of that, I started doing rounds with the orthopedic surgeons at the local hospital. At first, I just stood back and watched, but eventually I made comments as we reviewed X-rays and MRIs. One of the biggest takeaways from my time doing rounds at the hospital was something unexpected I heard an orthopedic surgeon say.
The orthopedic surgeon said he would no longer perform back surgery on anyone who was smoking at the time of surgery. Rather, he required back surgery patients to stop smoking at least one month before surgery because of a decrease in blood flow to the tissues in smokers’ spines. He was tired of failed back surgeries on patients who were toxic.
I started to notice that my own personal injury patients who were heavy smokers didn’t heal like I thought they should or like they wanted. I noticed specifically that patients who had high levels of toxicity simply didn’t heal like patients who had a cleaner lifestyle.
Around that same time, I was treating a patient who let me know he was scheduled to have a knee replacement. He told me about his surgery to explain why he would be missing his next several appointments. Then he showed me something that surprised me. He pulled a folded-up piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolded it, handed it to me, and said, “Here is the list of eating guidelines my orthopedic surgeon gave me. I have had to follow this all month before my surgery, and I have to continue following this for a month after my surgery.”
I took the piece of paper, examined it, and realized that his orthopedic surgeon had given him an anti-inflammatory diet. It included a list of foods that he should eat as well as a list of foods
that he should not eat. The orthopedic surgeon had given him eating guidelines that would reduce inflammation. Sticking with die diet prescribed by the orthopedic surgeon would help him have better surgical outcomes. I was surprised that this doctor was prescribing an anti-inflammatory diet.
My curiosity got the best of me, so I contacted the orthopedic surgeon. I explained we had a patient in common and wanted to make sure he knew about his treatment in my office. During the conversation, I discovered that the orthopedic surgeon lived just up the canyon in Park City, Utah. He was an avid skier and sports enthusiast, and nutrition was a big paid of his life. This surgeon had discovered that he experienced better surgical outcomes when his patients followed an anti-inflammatory diet.
Both of these orthopedic surgeons learned fir sthand that an anti-inflammatory diet helped their patients get better outcomes. Odds are these doctors did not learn their protocols in school. Regardless of how or when they learned the nutritional protocols, they both decided nutrition was an important paid of their protocols.
As chiropractors, we also know the importance of nutrition. We have more nutritional education than other physicians. The knowledge we have is powerful and can enhance patient outcomes. As chiropractors, we treat many personal injury patients who suffer with inflammation. These patients would greatly benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet, yet that is typically not file focus of a personal injury treatment protocol.
Nutritional protocols can be added very easily to personal injury chiropractic protocols. Doing so will give your patients the additional help they need to decrease their pain. The patient will experience relief and heal faster by combining the proper treatment with effective nutritional protocols. Protocols that include a clean, anti-inflammatory diet and effective supplementation can give your patients the relief they seek and aid in long-term repair.
Anti-Inflammatory Eating Guidelines
When patients eat foods that cause inflammation or put undue stress on the body, theyTl be actively working against the treatments they are receiving or supplements that they are taking. To help your patients get the most out of their treatment, you can recommend the following anti-inflammatory dietary guidelines:
Recommended:
• Organic dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables
• Organic fruits and berries
• Organic eggs and poultry
• Wild-caught fish
• Unrefined, cold-pressed olive oil and coconut oil
• Organic butter
Acceptable:
• Whole grains and legumes (rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, etc.)
• Non-organic fruits and vegetables
• Non-organic poultry and eggs
• Farm-raised fish
• Organic, grass-fed red meat
• Refined olive oil and coconut oil
• Unrefined natural sweeteners (honey, pure maple syrup, agave, etc.)
Off Limits:
• Dairy products
• Refined vegetable oils
• Refined grains, flours, and sugars
• Processed foods, fast foods, and junk foods
• Alcoholic or caffeinated beverages
• Artificial sweeteners
• Large amounts of red meat
Anti-Inflammatory Supplementation Guidelines
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Curbs joint stiffness and decreases inflammation and swelling, while increasing the effectiveness of other anti-inflammatory agents. A study in Surgical Neurology shows that omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) can be used as an alternative to nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drags for pain. After 75 days on fish oil, 59% of the patients in the study discontinued the use of NSAIDs for pain. The study also showed that 88% were satisfied with their improvement and stated they would continue to use the fish oil.2
• MSM: Breaks up pain-inducing calcium deposits and helps cells absorb nutrients.
• Vitamin D: Reduces inflammation. Findings published in the Global Journal of Health Science showed nonspecific musculoskeletal pain associated with vitamin D deficiency. Calcium absorption was also reduced in the GI with vitamin D deficiency. With supplementation,
75% of those with vitamin D deficiency completely eliminated their pain.3 Other studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D increases the need for narcotics for pain.
• Glucosamine: Inhibits inflammation and stimulates cartilage cell growth.
• Chondroitin: Gives cartilage strength and resilience and slows degeneration.
Taking the time to introduce an anti-inflammatory diet as well as effective supplementation to your personal injury patients can have long-term positive results for your practice. The increased results in patient outcomes will be worth the small amount of time required to get these protocols going in your office.
References:
1. http://www.gblegal.com/Vehicle-Accidents/1O-Mistakes-ThatCan-Ruin-Your-Accident-Case.shtml
2. Surgical Neurology 65 (April 2006) 326-331
3. Global Journal of Health Science, Vol 5, No. 1; 2013; pp. 107-111
Todd Singleton, DC, is an author, speaker, and consultant who has been a practicing doctor for more than 25 years. He ran the largest MD/DC/PT clinics in Utah before switching to an all-cash nutrition model in 2006. He created a very successful cash practice in Salt Lake City and now spends his time consulting and visiting
other offices all over the United States. You can contact Dr. Singleton at 801-903-7141 or visit his website at www.NutritionForChiros. com
