Abstract
Nutrition plays an important role in pain management. Healthy eating patterns are associated with reduced systemic inflammation, as well as lower risk and severity of chronic non-cancer pain and associated comorbidities. The role of nutrition in chronic non-cancer pain management is an emerging field with increasing interest from clinicians and patients. Evidence from a number of recent systematic reviews shows that optimising diet quality and incorporating foods containing anti-inflammatory nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, long chain and monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and fibre leads to reduction in pain severity and interference. This review describes the current state of the art and highlights why nutrition is critical within a person-centred approach to pain management. Recommendations are made to guide clinicians and highlight areas for future research.
Highlights
Accepted: 2 November 2021Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is defined as pain that persists for more than three months, which exceeds the time it typically takes for tissues to heal [1]
Fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are the main components of the plant rich dietary interventions included in the systematic reviews that make up the evidence for this paper
In a cross-sectional study conducted by Kurita 2012 et al, it was reported that the prevalence of CNCP in Danish-born participants was 26%, compared to non-Western born participants in whom the prevalence was 40% [3]
Summary
Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is defined as pain that persists for more than three months, which exceeds the time it typically takes for tissues to heal [1]. This neuroinflammation is mediated by neuroglia cells, which are found in the brain and central nervous system [19] They are thought to be activated by overall poor dietary patterns (i.e., energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets) through a variety of mechanisms such as oxidative stress, peripheral inflammation, and changes in the gut microbiome [19]. This leads to central nervous system sensitisation, a dominant contributor to CNCP [19,20]. Many of these conditions and their associated risk factors can be modulated through changes in diet
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
