“We interrupt this previously-planned blog
post to bring you this breaking news. Recent anecdotal evidence supports the
notion that diet might have a big impact on chronic pain.”
That’s the 1960s-style news spot that is
running through my head as I begin to write this post. I was planning a different topic
altogether, but a sudden aha! moment
in the shower today compelled me to change my mind.
Specifically, as I was hurrying to get
ready this morning, I gazed down through the lather to take note of my pesky
right knee. Normally, it makes its
presence known on an ongoing basis. In recent days, however, it hasn’t been
talking to me. At all. Strange. Very strange.
As I ran through a mental list of what
might account for this sudden change, I struck upon a distinct
possibility. In recent weeks, I’ve
changed my diet. Specifically, I’ve stopped
eating food that contains added sugars, fruit, processed grains (wheat, flour,
rice, etc.), or root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc). My new diet consists mainly of lean meats,
dairy, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
I made this change because I’ve added a few
pounds during 2012 that I want to shed.
(Never mind that so far I’ve lost almost nothing, while my husband, who
isn’t even on the diet, has lost three pounds!) Pain was the last thing on my
mind when I decided to change what I eat.
So what does science have to say about the
food-pain connection? Most of the evidence comes from small studies. Large-scale randomized trials (the gold
standard of clinical evidence) haven’t been conducted. Some experts speculate that certain diets –
such as the one I am following – reduce inflammation in the body, which in turn
lessens chronic pain.
The strongest known connection between food
and chronic pain is through obesity.
Carrying extra weight puts tremendous strain on joints, especially in
the spine, hips, and knees. New evidence
also suggests that obesity might fuel pain through the impact of fat cells on
inflammation throughout the body.
Obesity is not a factor in my
situation. Honestly, I don’t know what
to make of my lack of knee pain. I would be the first to acknowledge that its
connection to my dietary change might be ‘spurious’ (a favorite term of
scientists – basically meaning not really true). Stay tuned.
In the meantime, I’ve listed a couple of articles
(below) that discuss the potential pain-relieving properties of certain foods.
AARP magazine, May/June 2011 issue,
Pain-fighting foods: http://www.aarp.org/food/diet-nutrition/info-03-2011/pain-fighting-foods
Psychology Today, April 2011, Nutrition and
chronic pain by Mark Borigini, MD:
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