Hidden Link Between Artificial Sweeteners and Chronic Pain
If you're living with chronic back or neck pain, you've probably tested everything—stretches, heating pads, over-the-counter medications. But have you considered what's in your diet drinks and "sugar-free" snacks? Emerging research suggests that artificial sweeteners might be sabotaging your pain relief efforts through an unexpected pathway: your gut. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is here to explore any possible avenues to help you get back to enjoying your life!
THE GUT-PAIN CONNECTION
Your gut isn't just responsible for digestion—it's home to trillions of microorganisms that impact inflammation throughout your entire body, including your spine and neck. Recent groundbreaking research has described a direct link between artificial sweeteners, gut health, and chronic pain sensitivity.
A 2025 Mendelian randomization study by Zhao and colleagues demonstrated that artificially sweetened foods can actually cause chronic pain by disrupting the gut microbiota. (1) This isn't just connection—the research shows a causal relationship between using these sweeteners and higher pain levels.
HOW SWEETNERS TRIGGER PAIN
Artificial sweeteners can change the balance of beneficial bacteria living in your digestive system. These upset microbes trigger inflammatory responses that travel throughout your body. Research published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia by Guo and colleagues depicts how that gut bacteria impact pain levels by altering immune responses and how sensitive your nerves become. (2)
For back and neck pain sufferers seeking help at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC, this inflammation can heighten pain sensitivity in already weak areas. Your spinal nerves become more reactive, making existing discomfort worse and potentially slowing your recovery.
TAKING ACTION
Before your next chiropractic appointment, you might want to look into whether artificial sweeteners are bothering your pain levels. Consider trying a two-week experiment where you reduce or swap out products that have artificial sweeteners. This could involve choosing water or herbal tea instead of diet sodas, or opting for snacks without ingredients like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin.
Chiropractic physicians understand that pain management requires a whole-body approach. While spinal adjustments address mechanical dysfunction, reducing inflammation through dietary modifications can significantly raise treatment outcomes. By supporting your gut health, you're making an internal environment more beneficial to healing and less open to pain signals. Small dietary changes might be a valuable addition to your pain relief strategy with Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC.
Your path to back pain relief and/or neck pain relief may begin with what you don’t put into your grocery cart.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the impact inflammation has on the immune system and the benefit of chiropractic care like The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that La Grande chiropractic patients may experience.
