A nutritious diet can reduce chronic pain severity, particularly in women, offering an accessible and effective way to manage the condition regardless of body weight.
Chronic pain is a persistent and debilitating condition that impacts millions of people globally. Despite the availability of pain management options, many individuals remain without adequate treatment.
New research from the University of South Australia highlights a promising approach: adopting a healthy diet can help reduce the severity of chronic pain, offering sufferers an accessible and practical way to manage their condition.
The study investigated the links between body fat, diet, and pain. Researchers found that higher adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines was associated with lower levels of body pain, with women experiencing particularly notable benefits.
Importantly, these findings were independent of a person’s weight, meaning that despite your body composition, a healthy diet can help reduce chronic pain.
Globally, about 30% of the population suffers from chronic pain. In Australia, almost one in five (or 1.6 million) people struggle with chronic pain.
Women have higher rates of chronic pain, as do people who are overweight or obese.
A Modifiable Factor: Diet and Chronic Pain
UniSA PhD researcher Sue Ward says the study shows how modifiable factors, such as diet, can help manage and relieve chronic pain.
“It’s common knowledge that eating well is good for your health and wellbeing. But knowing that simple changes to your diet could offset chronic pain, could be life-changing,” Ward says.
“In our study, higher consumption of core foods – which are your vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats, dairy, and alternatives – was related to less pain, and this was regardless of body weight.
“This is important because being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for chronic pain.
“Knowing that food choices and the overall quality of a person’s diet will not only make a person healthier, but also help reduce their pain levels, is extremely valuable.”
Notably, the findings suggest that diet quality affects pain differently in men and women.
“Women with better diets, had lower pain levels and better physical function. But this effect was much weaker for men,” Ward says.
“It’s possible that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the healthier core food groups is what reduces pain, but we can’t yet determine whether poorer diet quality leads to more pain, or if pain leads to eating a poorer quality diet.
“A healthy, nutritious diet brings multiple benefits for health, wellbeing, and pain management. And while personalized pain management strategies should be adopted, a healthy diet is an accessible, affordable, and effective way to manage and even reduce pain.”
Reference: “Better diet quality is associated with reduced body pain in adults regardless of adiposity: Findings from the Whyalla Intergenerational Study of Health” by Susan J. Ward, Alison M. Coates, Katherine L. Baldock, Ty E. Stanford and Alison M. Hill, 30 August 2024, Nutrition Research.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.08.002
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24 Comments
This whole article is ridiculous. Most of the people who suffer from chronic pain have either tried the ‘healthy eating’ route, or are too poor to BUY healthy food. *I* suffer from chronic pain and this article was OBVIOUSLY written by someone who doesn’t. Because you don’t k ow the first thing about it. 🤬
Jennifer is correct. I suffer from chronic pain….diagnosed with fibro, severe arthritis requiring 4 surgeries so far and one of the most painful conditions–complex regional pain syndrome. I lost my PCP and now have to wait a month before seeing a new doctor. My referral for pain management has expired so I have no pain medicine.
Oh! But wait! I’ll just eat a salad. Yeah…that’ll work! (sigh) Stupid is as stupid does.
If you believe this load of garbage you are mistaken.
I agree 10000% with you! I suffer from chronic pain too. We can always tell when someone who doesn’t suffer from it when they write or say something about it. You are right on point! What’s worst is I’m now a middle aged, packed on a few pounds, and a woman. I’m the demographic that doctors give crap to the most who suffer from Chronic Pain. Gee, I guess the prior SIX (6) surgeries I’ve had since 2019 don’t count. Nor do the five (5) herniated disks in my lower back, and my recent diagnosis of a meniscus tear (and freying) along with 50% of said knee missing cartilage. But all I have to do is eat more fruits and vegetables and viola! What moron wrote such a stupid a** article?!?
Stay strong Jennifer! Please know you aren’t alone in this fight! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more. Research is often done by somebody that doesn’t have the problem they are researching.
Right because diet and exercise is a big help when you can’t afford health foods and have kids and food allergies also you have no clue how hard it is to even get out of bed much less try to exercise that’s why most of us have no job crap health care like this article and are in misery if diet would help I wouldn’t be like this period
I was so excited to see the headlines about relief from chronic pain! As I kept reading to my dismay I realized that I do and always have ate a very healthy diet 🤦♀️so just another useless article about a study that really doesn’t help anyone. I wish that all pain management doctors actually knew what chronic pain is and how it feels. Maybe they would be more understanding of what pain is and figure out how to really treat us so we could have a better life and not the life we live with little pain relief!
About the article…
Please don’t be haters or zealots. Proper nutrition and exercise will make some people feel better, at times. Others, at times, will need meds. It all depends on the individuals reasons as to why the pain exist in the first place and their over all ability to persevere in a given situation.
There are very active people in their 80’s who swear by nutrition and exercise to manage pain. There are people in their 80’s in a wheelchair taking 5, or more, pills a day to manage pain and there are people in their 80’s that are in-between both.
The article and it’s reference material, stress the importance and the potential benefits of running a clean machine.
It can’t hurt.
Of course eating healthier is going to help but only as part of a complex lifestyle.
Money at the back of everything the wealthy can afford the right food time to undertake the ideal exercise plan and help with childcare
They can access the right medical support too
Likewise the stress levels suffered by the poor the constant anxiety don’t effect the well off
The article isn’t wrong it’s just useless information to most of the population suffering from chronic pain
Exactly!
Actually they are right but need to go into further detail. I have had chronic pain for 30 years and 2 years ago I stopped eating GLUTEN, DAIRY, ALL SEED OIL ( CANOLA, SOYBEAN, CORN, GRAPESEED, ETC..) & reading labels because they put all kinds of CHEMICALS In pre- made food! I only eat OLIVE OIL, AVOCADO OIL & COCONUT OIL. This has made all the difference in my pain levels! I used to be in such severe pain & couldn’t figure out why?? Then I started cutting this out of my diet and I feel like a brand new person!! YES…It costs a lot more money to eat better but there is no price I can put on feeling good & being able to work and make money so I can eat better!
From my above post….I also cut out sugar!
My grandmother always said “spend your money at the market and you won’t need to spend it at the pharmacy.” Guess she knew what she was talking about!
Your a very intelligent person.
I belive your Wright.
“Actually they are right”
I don’t think you actually read the article.
“vegetables, fruits, grains*, lean meats, dairy†”
—
*includes wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, kamut, khorasan wheat, einkorn, Rye, Barley, Triticale. There’s some gluten for ya.
†includes… well… dairy.
Just because someone is financially unable to buy the healthiest foods, doesn’t mean the research is faulty. The article does not claim healthy eating eliminates chronic pain, but can reduce it. Particularly by reducing pain from inflammation effects
I agree the people who wrote this article have never been in any pain l also just visited the WV pain center where l had the unfortunate visit with a woman in 6inch high heels who never had any pain either but she knew all about my pain ha ha this is a result of the government taking over the Drs seat this girl was half my age
I suffer with Chronic Pain and I do agree sugar does cause significant increase in pain . So I will make a complete overhaul in my eating and will let you know in 3 months if it does help.
Thanks for this article.
I’m already starting a new anti-inflammatory diet this week. This article solidifies my reasoning for that. It’s so much more than “eating a salad” as was mentioned in an earlier comment. It’s a lifestyle. Some people don’t want to depend on pain meds. I actually developed an ulcer from taking so much Ibuprofen! Hoping this is a success!
I have had a colonectomy. When I eat fruit or vegetables they come out immediately. I also suffer from constant sciatica nerve pain. So much for this salad stuff, at least for me. Not every suggestion works for everyone.
Eat right, exercise and your pain will just go away. So much false hope for those who suffer
“vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats, dairy, and alternatives…”
In other words… food. The same stuff people were eating in the 19th century. Were those people suffering less pain?
I don’t think any sort of diet is going to make my bones move back to their intended places or make my missing disc reappear.
There is no shame in needing pain medication – we’ve been using them for 1000s of years.
Diet is a “part” of a pain patient’s tool box. But in this study, how was it done? How many patients ? What types of chronic pain? Ages? Who did it NOT help besides the men so much.
Everyone’s pain is different, pain can be so dynamic, even within our day.
Who plans the food? Who shops for the food. Who prepares the food????
“Keeping” a healthy diet seems so easy.
What if your a mom with kids? What if others eat differently?
What about those days pain prevents or sidelines. It’s always so easy to “say” these things until it’s live real-time life. Pain 24/7 has already taken so much of your ability to just function in the necessities.
Then they set you up again to try and fail and try and fail again. Once again it’s YOUR fault.
Your not eating right….
Your overweight….
You need to exercise more..
You need to use more mindfulness training..
Anything but proper pain relief to allow you to add to your tool box what helps your particular pain, then pull it out when needed for that moment or day.
Why are we who are disabled with disease, disorders, traumatic injuries who suffer day and night with intractable pain 24/7… why are we suppose to be the super humans ? The ones with superpowers? Somehow those that be that espouse such edicts over us still think the only thing in our lives is pain. We only use pain pills to sit and be … static… in some state of being..
They never recognize that we are like everyone else. We have life running along side our pain. Divorce, death, financial problems, marriage problems, teens in trouble, elderly parents…. On and on. We have also suffered loss in our own lives. Who we were, what we use to be able to do, learning how to do things differently. Our pain is not static it does change. Someday’s daily. Weather, illness, stress, disease progression… yet they still imply their one size all application of these poorly developed theories that give Dr’s yet another pound of garbage to shove in our bag of burden we must carry along with our daily fellow, “chronic pain.”
Thank you very much.