Anti-inflammatory Diet Could Help Reduce Back Pain - OptimalBack

How an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Could Help Reduce Back Pain

March 2, 2021

How Inflammation Triggers Back Pain – And How Your Diet Can Help

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints across the globe. But what if the real culprit behind your back pain isn’t just a pulled muscle or poor posture—what if it’s inflammation?

Recent research reveals a compelling connection between what you eat and how your back feels. In fact, following an anti-inflammatory diet could help reduce back pain significantly, offering a powerful alternative to expensive treatments and medications.

Let’s explore the link between inflammation and back pain, and how changing your diet could be the key to long-term relief.

Understanding the Connection Between Inflammation and Back Pain

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's natural defense mechanism. When you get injured or sick, inflammation helps your body heal. But when this process becomes chronic—lasting months or even years—it can start doing more harm than good.

How Inflammation Affects Your Spine

Chronic inflammation can:

Irritate spinal nerves
Cause swelling in tissues around the spine
Break down cartilage and joints
Lead to persistent pain and stiffness

The link between inflammation and back pain lies in the way chronic inflammation damages tissues, creates pressure on nerves, and delays recovery.

What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

An anti-inflammatory diet is focused on reducing inflammation by emphasizing whole, nutrient-rich foods and avoiding processed, pro-inflammatory ingredients.

This style of eating mirrors the Mediterranean diet and includes:

Whole grains
Fruits and vegetables
Omega-3-rich foods
Healthy fats like olive oil
Anti-inflammatory spices such as turmeric and ginger

Not only can this approach improve your overall health, but research shows an anti-inflammatory diet could help reduce back pain—especially in people with chronic low back issues.

New Research: Your Diet Could Be Causing Your Back Pain

A study presented at the 2021 Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) digital conference examined data from over 3,900 adults and found that participants with the most pro-inflammatory diets had a 42% higher chance of experiencing low back pain.

Researchers used the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)—a scientific scale based on 2,000+ studies—to rank diets. Those with the highest scores (indicating the most inflammation-causing foods) were significantly more likely to report recent back pain.

The takeaway? A pro-inflammatory diet may contribute directly to back pain, especially in those with underlying inflammation-related conditions like arthritis or autoimmune disorders.

Pro-Inflammatory vs. Anti-Inflammatory Diets: What’s the Difference?

🚫 Foods That Promote Inflammation

Avoid or reduce:

Processed foods: Full of trans fats, additives, and chemicals
Refined grains: White bread, pasta, and rice
Sugary drinks: Sodas, juices, and sweetened coffees
Red and processed meats: Especially grain-fed and high-fat varieties
Refined vegetable oils: Soybean, corn, and canola oils

These foods spike blood sugar, increase oxidative stress, and trigger long-term inflammation.

✅ Foods That Fight Inflammation

Add more of these to your diet:

Fatty fish: Salmon, sardines, mackerel (rich in omega-3s)
Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and arugula (loaded with antioxidants)
Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
Olive oil: Contains oleocanthal, a natural anti-inflammatory compound
Turmeric: Curcumin is a proven inflammation fighter

If you’re one of the millions of Americans with low back pain, chances are you’ve tried a variety of lifestyle adjustments and remedies to improve your symptoms. Although it may help to upgrade to a high-tech mattress or an ergonomic office chair, new research suggests that you may be able to improve your back pain via a less obvious (and less expensive) route: by changing the foods you eat every day.

The research, presented at the February 2021 Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) digital conference, found a link between what people ate and their chances of having low back pain.

“Our findings suggest that diets that are more anti-inflammatory tend to be better for back pain,” says Valerio Tonelli Enrico, a physical therapist, research assistant, and doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, who presented the findings.

“An anti-inflammatory diet would include whole grains and lots of fruits and vegetables — similar to the Mediterranean diet,” Tonelli Enrico says.

Expert Insight: What Nutritionists and Physical Therapists Say

“A 42 percent higher chance of having low back pain with a pro-inflammatory diet is absolutely significant and worth paying attention to,”
— Ryanne Lachman, RDN, Cleveland Clinic

Experts agree: inflammation is often a silent contributor to pain. And while ergonomic chairs or physical therapy can help, food may be the most underrated tool for managing back pain.

Tips for Reducing Inflammation Through Diet

1. Eat the Rainbow

Aim for 4–6 cups of colorful vegetables and fruits daily, especially cruciferous veggies like:

Broccoli
Arugula
Cauliflower
Watercress

These are packed with antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory compounds.

2. Balance Your Fats

Limit omega-6 fats (found in processed oils) and increase omega-3 intake:

Eat cold-water fish (salmon, cod, sardines)
Add flax, chia, and hemp seeds to smoothies or salads

3. Spice It Up

Use anti-inflammatory spices in your cooking:

Turmeric
Ginger
Cinnamon
Cayenne

Add them to teas, curries, soups, or even smoothies.

4. Cook Smarter

Avoid high-temperature cooking methods like frying, grilling, or searing. These create advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—compounds linked to inflammation.

Instead, try:

Steaming
Simmering
Braising

Also, reduce consumption of highly processed foods that often contain hidden inflammatory ingredients.

Does This Mean Diet Alone Can Cure Back Pain?

Not exactly. While diet plays a major role, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Factors like posture, sleep, physical activity, and underlying conditions all matter.

Still, by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, you give your body the nutrients it needs to:

Recover faster
Reduce flare-ups
Lower reliance on pain meds
Improve your quality of life

Best Home Remedies for Low Back Pain: Advice From a Physical Therapist

Low Back Pain Is More Likely in People With a Pro-inflammatory Diet

The study used data from the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES) survey database and included 3,966 subjects. The incidence of back pain was assessed by whether or not a participant had experienced low back pain at any time in the three months before the survey.

Diet was evaluated through a survey in which participants were asked to recall all the foods they ate in a 24-hour period. Researchers used the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), a measure based on nearly 2,000 studies on different foods and their effect on different inflammatory markers, according to a paper published in 2019 in Advances in Nutrition.

A DII score was assigned to each participant in the trial on the basis of the foods they reported eating; the higher the score, the more likely the diet was considered “pro-inflammatory,” or likely to cause inflammation.

Researchers ranked the participants and placed them into quartiles according to their DII score. People in the top quartile, who had the most inflammatory diet, had a 42 percent higher chance of having low back pain compared with the group with the least pro-inflammatory diet.

“From my clinical experience, these findings make sense,” says Ryanne Lachman, RDN, a registered dietitian with the Center for Functional Medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “We do commonly see pain associated with inflammation," she says.

“A 42 percent higher chance of having low back pain with a pro-inflammatory diet is absolutely significant and worth paying attention to,” says Lachman. The DII measurement tool and the inflammatory biomarkers the researchers used are both reliable sources of information, she says.

“The researchers controlled for physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and education, which adds some weight to their findings,” says Lachman. Low back pain can be associated with a higher BMI, and so it’s meaningful that the improvements weren’t just because some people on a low-inflammatory diet weighed less, she adds.

RELATED: U.S. News & World Report’s Best and Worst Diets of 2021

What Is a Pro-Inflammatory Diet?

Many of the foods that increase inflammation, or are “pro-inflammatory,” can be found in the standard American diet, also known as the SAD diet, says Lachman. “This is a diet where we consume mainly refined grains that are too easily absorbed and create lingering blood sugar problems and weight gain,” she says. Sodas, fruit juices, trans fats, and meat from grain-fed animals can be pro-inflammatory as well, says Lachman.

“One source of inflammation that I think a lot of people don’t realize are refined vegetable oils such as soybean oil, vegetable oil, and corn oil. They’ve all gone through a high level of processing, and they contain omega-6 fats which are inherently pro-inflammatory,” she says. These oils are not only used in cooking, but often used in baked goods such as cookies or cupcakes.

“Some of these things aren’t outright harmful in small doses, but when we have them embedded in every product, every processed food, and every restaurant uses them, that’s when chronic inflammation can ensue — from chronic exposure,” says Lachman.

RELATED: Good Fats vs. Bad Fats: Everything You Should Know About Fats and Heart Health

heart healthy food

The Bottom Line: Eat Better, Feel Better

If you’re living with low back pain, don’t underestimate the power of your plate. Emerging science strongly supports that an anti-inflammatory diet could help reduce back pain by addressing one of its root causes—chronic inflammation.

Small changes, like switching to olive oil, eating more greens, or skipping sugary drinks, can add up to major relief over time.

Before making major dietary changes, consult with a healthcare provider or dietitian, especially if you have other medical conditions.

healthy food