Diet may have an effect on chronic low back pain, although more research is needed to conclusively establish a link, as well as determine the extent to which different people may be affected. Unhealthy diets and smoking are known to have a negative effect on chronic pain,[1] and different dietary patterns are known to affect the amount of inflammation in the body, suggesting that dietary interventions could have potential mitigating effects on back pain.[2]
However, there is currently a lack of high-quality studies testing the effects of different dietary interventions for chronic low back pain. A 2022 observational study did find associations between higher protein intake and reduced chronic low back pain, and energy-dense diets and increased chronic low back pain.[3] More research is needed to determine whether diets can affect chronic low back pain, however.