Nutrition interventions for spine-related pain: A scoping review

Abstract

Multiple studies have been published regarding various nutritional supplements or interventions to improve chronic pain. However, many of these studies emphasized widespread pain and were not specific to the spine. Therefore, the primary objective of this scoping review was to evaluate available evidence related to nutritional supplementation or dietary strategies for spine-related pain. A comprehensive literature search was performed on October 11, 2022, and updated on May 2, 2024. Databases included: MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results were limited to those published within the past 10 years, to English-language articles, and excluded animal studies. Of the 2,081 screened articles, 29 were included in the final review. Of these, 26 focused on the low back, one on the neck, and two referred to generalized “back” pain. The largest number of studies were found on vitamins D and B, specifically for low back pain. However, there were conflicting findings for both vitamins; therefore, further research is necessary before these can be confidently recommended to patients suffering from low back pain. Furthermore, this scoping review identified a lack of consistency in study design, population or sample size, and outcome measures among currently published studies with a primary focus on nutritional supplementation or dietary strategies for spine-related pain.

Keywords

• Back pain
• neck pain
• spine pain
• nutrition
• supplement
• diet