Living with chronic pain can be debilitating, and affects every aspect of your life, from your relationships, to your career, even your ability to simply enjoy life. There are many diseases that cause chronic pain, and it can be present in any place in the body. Of course, healing starts from within, so there are lifestyle changes you can try to ease the severity of your pain. We asked Erin Mewshaw, the Clinical Director for the New York Center for Innovative Medicine, what dietary changes you can make to help with chronic pain and improve your quality of life.
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First and foremost, understanding the underlying sources of chronic pain is crucial for treating it. According to Mewshaw, the biggest trigger of chronic pain is inflammation, so nourishing your body with anti-inflammatory foods, and knowing what foods are sources of inflammation, is crucial. "The biggest contributor to chronic pain is sugar,” Mewshaw says. Sugar ignites inflammation in the body, so when you eat it it’s like adding gasoline to an existing fire. Mewshaw says that sugar can sneak its way into many foods you wouldn’t expect, but the ones where it’s most prevalent are bagels, chips, yogurt, cereal, condiments, dairy, starchy vegetables, or anything ultra-processed. Eating these items regularly may be making your pain worse, so avoiding them when you can will lower the inflammation in your body.
Beyond looking at what you can cut out, it’s important to take into account what you can add to your diet that will make you feel better too. Mewshaw has a few recommendations for foods and supplements that lower inflammation and are worth adding to your diet. “Pineapple is high in bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti-cancer and antimicrobial effects.” She says. Heat destroys bromelain, so it is best to eat pineapple raw to reap the most benefits.
Aside from that, she also shared her favorite spices and herbs for fighting chronic pain. First is ginger, which “inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins. It’s high in important ingredients such as gingerols, shogaol, and paradol. It has been shown to decrease inflammation, reduce pain, fight free-radicals, prevent cancer, and lower blood glucose.” Ginger is very versatile as it can be eaten raw, cooked, boiled, and made as tea. Another spice she loves for its anti-inflammatory properties is curcumin, a natural herb that “has been shown to help inhibit multiple molecules such as prostaglandins, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-12 (IL-12) that contribute to inflammation.” Encapsulated curcumin is Mewshaw’s favorite natural supplement for pain, specifically CuraMed from TerryNaturals.
When it comes to vegetables, asparagus is a great anti-inflammatory addition to your plate as well. “Asparagus is high in steroidal saponins which reduce inflammatory mediators. It also contains the natural diuretic asparagine which helps reduce excess fluid in the body.” Mewshaw says. Asparagus is an easy side dish to put in the air fryer or roast in the oven on nights when you’re in a pinch and need something quick for dinner.
Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods is a great way to help lower inflammation and, as a result, ease chronic pain. Reading ingredients on the foods you purchase, monitoring sugar consumption, and being observant of how different foods make you feel are excellent tools when building a diet if you suffer from chronic pain. However, if you experience chronic pain in any way, you should consult with your doctor along with making dietary changes, so that you can better assess your personal underlying causes and create a well rounded treatment plan.
