How could diet affect chronic low back pain?

    Written by:
    Bill Willis

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Jeremy A. Alland, Nick Milazzo
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Diet may influence chronic low back pain; unhealthy diets and smoking negatively affect pain levels, whereas certain dietary patterns could reduce inflammation. Although some studies suggest associations between protein intake and lower pain levels, more high-quality research is needed to establish definitive links between diet and chronic low back pain.

    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.