Role of Nutrition in the Management of Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Abstract

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), defined as persistent discomfort in musculoskeletal tissues persisting for over 3 months, afflicts an estimated 1.71 billion people globally, leading to significant functional impairments and psychological distress, thereby detrimen-tally affecting individuals’ quality of life. The objective of this narrative review is to elucidate the complex relationship among dietary habits, sarcopenia, and gut microbiota composition, with an eye toward enhancing patient management and outcomes. Given the burgeoning interest in the influence of diet on CMP, a detailed examination of the current literature is warranted. Nutritional intake is a critical determinant of the gut microbiota profile, which, in turn, is linked to musculature integrity and performance, potentially leading to sarcopenia. The development of sarcopenia can aggravate CMP owing to diminished muscular strength and functionality. Additionally, disruptions in the gut microbiota may directly modulate nociception, intensifying CMP manifestations. Thus, nutritional optimization emerges as a viable approach to CMP management. Emphasizing a diet conducive to a healthy gut microbiome could forestall or mitigate sarcopenia, thereby attenuating CMP intensity. Nevertheless, the domain calls for further empirical exploration to unravel the nuances of these interactions and to forge efficacious dietary strategies for individuals with CMP. Beyond mere analgesia, comprehensive patient care for CMP requires acknowledgment of the complex and multifactorial nature of pain and its foundational elements. Embracing an integrative treatment model allows healthcare practitioners to promise better patient prognoses, enriched life quality, and a decrease in the sustained healthcare costs associated with CMP. Plain Language Summary: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is long-lasting pain in the bones, muscles, and joints, and it’s a common problem affecting over 1.7 billion people worldwide. This kind of pain can really disrupt someone’s daily life, making it hard to do everyday things and causing a lot of stress. This review is like a deep dive into how eating habits, muscle loss, and the tiny organisms living in our guts all connect to this pain. As we are becoming more curious about how food affects CMP, it’s important to look closely at what we already know. What we eat can change the tiny bugs in our guts, which has a big impact on our muscles. If our muscles get weak and shrink (a condition called sarcopenia), it can make CMP worse because weak muscles cannot support our bodies well. Also, if the balance of bugs in our gut is off, it might even make us feel pain more intensely. So, changing what we eat might be a good way to tackle CMP. Eating foods that keep our gut bugs happy might help prevent muscle loss and reduce pain. But we still need to do more research to understand this better and to figure out the best foods to eat for this purpose. Treating CMP is not just about getting rid of the pain; it’s about looking at the whole picture and all the things that contribute to the pain. By considering everything — from our diet to our muscles to our gut bugs — doctors can help improve the lives of people with CMP, making them more comfortable and possibly reducing medical costs in the long run.