Dr. Sean Mackey: Tools to Reduce & Manage Pain

Food Triggers

Certain foods can act as triggers for pain, making it crucial to identify and avoid them. Andrew Huberman and Sean Mackey discuss how foods like onions can cause prolonged pain, emphasizing the importance of elimination diets to pinpoint specific triggers 1. Mackey shares his personal experience with chronic abdominal pain triggered by foods in the onion family, highlighting the role of isolation and experimentation in identifying these triggers 2.

If I heat onions or anything in an onion family, it's pain for two weeks.

--- Sean Mackey

This approach can help individuals regain control over their diet and manage pain effectively.

   

Supplements

Supplements and nutraceuticals offer promising avenues for managing pain, though they require careful consideration. Sean Mackey highlights the benefits of omega-3 fish oils and creatine, which have shown potential in treating chronic pain and fibromyalgia 3. He also mentions acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid, which have demonstrated efficacy in improving nerve health and reducing neuropathic pain 4.

Just because it's natural, just because it's over the counter, doesn't equate with 100% safety.

--- Sean Mackey

It's essential to be informed about possible side effects and interactions, especially when considering these substances for pain management.