We really are what we eat. Our society and medical practices currently undervalue the relationship between nutrition and our daily lives. Whether it is immunomodulation via the enteric system, anti-inflammatory nutrients, or obesity, what we eat is increasingly being found to have correlation to our world and how our patients perceive and experience pain.

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In most cases, the development of pain is due to an inflammatory etiology, regardless of the underlying etiology. There is a clear understanding of the inflammatory pathways in which there is a role for anti-inflammatory medications to alleviate the inflammation leading to pain relief. The use of prescription and non-prescription Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) is still thought to be the first line treatment in treating pain arising from an inflammatory etiology. However, long-term usages of NSAIDs have safety concerns which often limit their use for chronic painful conditions. Understanding the inflammatory pathway, potentially dangerous side effects of NSAIDs and commonly used anti-inflammatory supplements may offer a safer and more effective, alternative treatment for an anti-inflammatory pain relief. This article is a narrative review of the current literature as such it lacks quantitative data synthesis and is not intended to be a systematic review. Further high quality randomized controlled trials are needed to substantiate the long term safety and efficacy of dietary foods and supplements on decreasing inflammation and pain.