Chronic pain: Quality prescribing - A guide for improvement 2026-2029
A healthy diet, focusing on the quality and variety of foods eaten, ensures the body gets the essential nutrients it needs to function at its best.
Relationship between pain and nutrition:
- For people living with pain, nutrient-rich foods can support overall health and may also play a role in managing pain levels39
- Limited/reduced mobility and functional strength can affect a person’s ability to shop, cook and prepare meals
- Comfort eating and/or lack of meaning around mealtimes can lead to low quality diet
- Lack of sleep can result in irregular eating habits
Potential strategies:
- Consider providing advice for healthy eating
- Incorporate fruit and vegetables into the daily food intake to support overall health. These can be fresh, dried, tinned, or frozen as all offer nutritional benefits
- Include good quality fats in die such as omega-3 fats from oily fish, e.g. salmon or mackerel, to meals, or plant-based sources like walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds or edamame. Extra virgin olive oil can be used for cooking and salad dressings
- Reduce ultra-processed foods which are typically high in salt, sugar and saturated fat. Try to cut back on highly processed foods like chips, sugary snacks, fast food and ready meals
- Include plenty of fibre in diet- fibre keeps the digestive system healthy and supports gut health. Fibre helps to prevent constipation which is a common side effect of medicines commonly prescribed for pain, including opioids. Increase fibre intake by consuming more vegetables, wholegrain options and legumes such as lentils, beans and pulses
- Stay hydrated- dehydration can cause constipation, and affect wound healing. Aim for six to eight glasses of water a day, and try to drink regularly, not just when feeling thirsty
- There is insufficient evidence of benefit from dietary supplements in chronic pain, such as vitamin D, glucosamine or chondroitin17,40
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