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Do you currently participate in a physiotherapy program? Perhaps you’ve recently had surgery and are working with a physiotherapist toward full recovery. Or, maybe you are one of thousands who deal with chronic pain and are seeking relief through physiotherapy. No matter what type of physiotherapy program you are involved in or what reason you have sought it out, you can optimize your results with good nutrition.
Nutrition + Physiotherapy = Recovery
If there’s one goal all physiotherapy patients share, it’s recovery. While physiotherapy alone can certainly help the body recover from trauma, it is aided by good nutrition.
Most people know that it’s important to eat a balanced diet. However, they have no idea what a balanced diet is! The media makes healthy eating seem so difficult, but it is simple. Here are a few healthy eating tips that might be useful to a physiotherapy patient:
— Be sure you are eating enough protein. Protein is essential for the rebuilding of muscle. It is particularly important to eat a protein-rich meal or snack after a physiotherapy session or after completing home program exercises.
— Unless instructed otherwise by a healthcare professional, do not follow a low-carb diet. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy. If you do not eat enough carbs, your body may break down your muscle to get the energy it needs. Make things easier on your body by consuming sensible portions of whole grains, yogurt, fruit, and milk.
— Drink water.
— Consume enough fiber to keep your digestive system in good health. Pain medications often cause constipation, but you can help counteract this by drinking water and eating 25-35 grams of fiber each day.
Find more information about speeding up the results of physiotherapy with nutrition here.
The Link Between Nutrition and Mood
Did you know that eating a balanced diet not only promotes physical health, but emotional health? Good nutrition speeds up the healing process, stabilizes the emotions and generally ministers health to a person’s mind, body and spirit. Stable emotions are an advantage to a person undergoing a physiotherapy program. Those who are in this position are often dealing with a considerable amount of pain and/or have recently experienced some type of bodily trauma, such as an accident or surgery. For these individuals, eating foods that ease emotional duress is important.
For physiotherapy patients, proper nutrition is key to recovery. How exciting that you are given an opportunity to maximize your physiotherapy results every time that you eat. Ask your physiotherapist for more nutrition-related information.
Ann Wigmore said, “The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Starting today, will you eat foods that fortify your body and infuse it with health?
*Note: Please consult a healthcare professional before making major changes to your diet.