A Healthy Diet Could Help Manage Chronic Pain, Finds New Study
Around 30% of people across the world live with chronic pain. That can include non-specific lower back pain, arthritis, nerve pain and Fibromyalgia, among many other conditions. There are few treatment options available for those who suffer from chronic pain. However, lifestyle interventions are regularly prescribed, often with a focus on weight loss for easing symptoms.
Previous research suggests this can help, with one study finding an increase in BMI can account for 10-32% of pain increases. At the same time, research in other areas found that diet quality is of more importance for health than weight.
Now, a new study has tried to determine whether diet or weight is more important when it comes to managing pain.
The Study
Published in Nutrition Research, the team from University of South Australia noted that diets high in total energy, refined carbohydrates, added sugars and saturated fats, and low in fruits and vegetables, have been associated with higher rates of pain.
These types of diets are also associated with higher BMI and obesity. However, no clear links had been made between diet, body size and fat mass, and pain.
The researchers looked at data from 654 people enrolled in the Whyalla Intergenerational Study of Health. They asked participants to complete a 40-question survey about their dietary intake, as well as other lifestyle and socio-economic questions about their self-assessed health status and pain levels. Other physical measures, like height, weight, body composition, waist circumference and grip strength, were captured at a clinic.
A 'healthy diet' was defined as one that included more foods from The Australian Dietary Guidelines, which mainly focuses on eating a high amount of multicoloured vegetables, legumes/beans, fruit, grains, lean meats, poultry, fish and low-fat dairy products.
The Results
Those who ate healthier diets had lower levels of pain, regardless of BMI and body fat. The research also found:
Average diets were of poor quality, with women scoring higher than men for overall diet quality.
Women experienced more bodily pain than men.
In men, body fat and weight seemed to have more of a role in pain scores. However, men typically have more visceral fat than women, but in this study they had lower levels, so the findings are unclear.
There was a nearly significant negative association between alcohol intake and pain levels in men. This means that men who drank more alcohol tended to report less pain.
What This Means For Us
The study could mean that those who struggle with chronic pain may be able to support their symptoms by eating a better quality diet. Eating better food — best described as a whole food focused diet — is also more important than focusing on weight loss according to the study, given there was no clear link between size, body fat and pain levels. However, it is important to be aware of certain limitations in the research.
Study methods such as the inclusion of dietary recall surveys are not completely reliable due to bias. Researchers also couldn't tell if poorer diet quality leads to greater pain, if pain leads to eating a poorer quality diet, or if the association is bidirectional, so the mechanisms as to why those who eat a healthy diet have less pain weren't explained. Therefore more research is needed. Despite this, previous research suggests that nutrient-rich diets help to neutralise oxidative stress and systemic inflammation.
Alcohol had an interesting role in the experience of pain. Men in this study drank more alcohol than women, and higher levels of alcohol intake seemed to be associated with lower pain scores.
Previous research has found that moderate alcohol intake can reduce pain by impacting pain perception and stress levels, though on the slightly less positive side, men have also been shown to drink more to cope with pain and self-medicate.
We don't recommend you rely on booze to reduce your pain, given the long-term effects of alcohol on your health. If you frequently reach for a pint to forget your pain, know that there are better ways to manage your health, like seeking medical, familial and nutritional support.
The Bottom Line
If you have a chronic pain condition, eating better food might help you manage symptoms.
Improving your food intake is multifaceted, and requires personal action as well as better access to food and improved nutrition policy. Researchers noted that the link between diet and pain may be because people with chronic conditions rely more on processed foods, which is understandable, given they tend to be more accessible and easier for people who struggle with medical conditions.
However, making small tweaks to add more whole foods to your diet might help you better support your body.
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