As a Naturopath who specializes in pain treatments and a sufferer of pain, some self imposed through years of sports and some through natural wear and tear, I am well versed in the various expressions of pain.

I discovered the sugar and pain connection in the mid 80's. Every Tuesday I would have take away chicken for lunch and a well known soda, which contained a large amount of sweetener. It took me a few weeks to connect increased knee pain on my Tuesday walk with the high sugar intake.

Years later I learned of the clear biochemical connection between sugar and pain. It doesn't matter whether the sweetener is sugar or corn syrup the pain result is the same. Sugar is a direct driver of inflammation in the body. The best way of accessing your sugar intake is to keep a food & snacks diary for at least one week.

You don't need to measure the sugar, just list the sweet foods. You may be surprised at the amount of sugar consumed. Whatever amount you think you are consuming it is probably 30% higher because of hidden sugars, e.g. sauces and breads.

Include all treats and processed foods consumed. If you accept that sugar equals pain, the more sugar you eat the more pain you will experience. I know it can be hard to give up your much loved snacks, especially if they are part of your stress management. We often eat to feel happier.

The first step is to reduce your sugar intake, don't try to stop everything all at once, it may be too stressful. Start to introduce more fruit and nuts. Watch out for hidden sugars in so called healthy foods.

A common problem is to swap sugar for aspartame which will only cause you more problems. There are currently multiple class actions against aspartame. Safe alternatives are Stevia or Xyotol which you can purchase at any health food shop.

In the next article we will further discuss dietary changes you can make to reduce your pain. After all what is the point of taking pharmaceutical or natural medicines if the food you are consuming daily is feeding your pain.

An important question to ask yourself is how does this pain affect my life and what am I prepared to do to gain relief. Don't forget that by reducing your sugar or corn syrup consumption you will also reduce your likelihood of obesity diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As usual with health issues one action or one problem will often have a flow on effect.