Medical nutrition therapy for chronic pain management

Diet has been identified as one of the highest care priorities for people with chronic non-cancer pain. Moreover, there are physiological and metabolic data indicating patients living with chronic pain can benefit from nutrition intervention. Dietary patterns have, however, shown promise for various chronic pain conditions. There is emerging evidence that diet may play an important role in chronic pain management, particularly through regulating inflammatory pathways. Many specific foods have been studied for their role in chronic pain and inflammation. Patients with chronic pain may be prescribed medications that can interfere with nutrient absorption and cause nutrient depletion and other unwanted side effects that may impact their diet. Medical nutrition assessment includes pharmacotherapy and complementary/integrative medicine use (including prescription and over-the counter medications, and herbal and natural health products), with particular attention to food-drug interactions.