Reduce chronic pain by changing eating habits

Significantly reduce chronic pain levels by changing eating habits. This is the focus of a study, published in ‘Pain and Therapy’, coordinated by Anna Maria Aloisi, Professor of Physiology at the University of Siena, based on the evidence of the correlation between chronic pain and gastrointestinal functions, and on how certain foods influence inflammation and pain through their action on the immune or neural gastrointestinal system, while many analgesics interact with the intestine to alter its structure and function. The experimentation also made use of the collaboration of the Sienese university hospital and the Higher Institute of Health (Iss). High levels of a particular type of antibody, IgG4 – it is explained in a note – have been associated with the inflammatory state. IgG4 are food-specific antibodies resulting from exposure of the intestinal immune system to nutrients. These specific types of antibodies have been identified in men and women with chronic pain. Research participants were asked to exclude all foods that caused high blood levels of IgG4 antibodies for 4 weeks. Pain and quality of life questionnaires were administered before and after the diet period, which was personalized for each patient by excluding foods that caused inflammation. In all groups, the 4-week exclusion diet resulted in a significant reduction in pain and an improvement in quality of life parameters. In particular, at the second visit, the Vas score, which indicates the intensity of pain, decreased by more than 50%. The studies will be further studied during the next European Pain School conference, entitled “Pain, Inflammation and the Guts”, which will be held in Pontignano from 11 to 18 June.