Treating Chronic Pain with a Plant-Based Diet – a Case Report

Treatment with a plant-based diet has already been shown to be safe and effective both for several pathologies with chronic pain as a symptom. Here we describe the case of a 41-year old male patient who had been injured at work in 2009 and suffered from pain and restricted range of motion in his lumbar spine and legs for three years. During that time, he was treated with pain medications, including epidural steroid injections and a short course of opioids. The patient then underwent L4-L5 microdiscectomy followed by lumbar laminectomy and L5-S1 discectomy, fusion and was given a series of steroid epidural injections. However, he remained with very significant pain, limited range of motion and was unable to work. The patient was then referred to a physical and rehabilitative physician who prescribed a plant-based diet. Recognizing that standard treatment did not achieve the results he hoped for, the patient was open to the idea and embraced it whole-heartedly. He was also encouraged to eliminate caffeine and alcohol, and to rely on water for hydration, and to start some gentle physical therapy. Within 2 weeks, the patient noticed a reduction of symptoms. Within a month he no longer experienced back pain and his range of motion was improving. He gradually lost 50 lbs and regained the ability to walk and stand straight. Within three months he was able to resume work. The patient was very satisfied with the role of the plant-based diet in relieving his symptoms and enabling him to resume a normal and productive life.