Relationship between nutrition and chronic low back pain. Review

Low back pain is a common and complex condition that significantly affects people’s daily functioning, ability to work, quality of life and places a significant burden on the healthcare system. Chronic low back pain is pain that persists for more than 12 weeks and is caused by mechanical, psychological and social factors. The main risk factors for chronic low back pain include a sedentary lifestyle, overweight and obesity, high stress levels, smoking, sleep disturbances, concomitant chronic diseases and poor diet. The World Health Organisation emphasises the importance of nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle and an important preventive aspect of chronic non-communicable diseases. The relationship between nutrition and health is complex and multicomponent, involving direct and indirect mechanisms of influence. In recent years, a significant number of publications have appeared in the literature on the relationship between nutrition and low back pain. The purpose of this review was to analyse and systematise the knowledge on the mechanisms of the relationship between nutrition and chronic low back pain. An unhealthy diet is the main cause of underweight or overweight, which has an indirect effect on the development of chronic low back pain. Diets with anti-inflammatory properties can reduce inflammation, normalize weight, and have a positive effect on the course of chronic low back pain. The review found that the main mechanisms of interaction between nutrition and chronic pain are the pro-inflammatory properties of foods, underweight, overweight and obesity, and macro and micronutrient deficiencies. There is a need to develop nutritional strategies for patients with chronic low back pain as one of the key areas of a multidisciplinary approach to solving this problem.